In light of concerns about “potential additional civil unrest” brought on by the 2024 presidential election, the U.S. National Guard has been” standby” in several states ahead of Tuesday’s election.
After at least three vote drop box fires recently occurred in Washington and Oregon, causing harm to hundreds of votes, CNN reported that the National Guard is activating troops in several states.
In a Friday media release, Gov. Jay Inslee (D-Wash. )  , announced that the National Guard was being placed on standby from Monday to Thursday. Inslee addressed the latest ballot drop box fire situations, saying,” The west area of Washington state has previously experienced specific circumstances of election-related upheaval”.
This is a solely precautionary measure, according to the release from Friday that read” This is a purely precautionary measure taken in response to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s nationwide instructions regarding challenges to election equipment and other new hobbies that have occurred in southern Washington.”
Due to concerns about” the potential for violence or other unlawful task related to the 2024 public election,” the governor of Washington stated that he wanted to ensure that the position was “fully prepared to respond to any potential more civil turmoil.”
Inslee noted that the U. S. Department of Homeland Security recently warned that” challenges to vote system” keep “high” away of Election Day.
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Gov. Last Monday, Joe Lombardo (R-Nev. ) announced that 60 National Guard personnel would be on standby for Tuesday’s election to ensure” a safe and smooth Election Day.”
” This decision, which mirrors the state’s routine preparation for past elections, was made after consultation with election officials and state leaders”, Lombardo said in last week’s press release. The state is taking “one of many proactive steps” to make sure all available resources are available to address any issues that may arise.
KTVZ reported that Gov. The National Guard was on standby before Election Day, according to Tina Kotek (D-Ore. ). Kotek stated in an email that her office was” closely monitoring and coordinating with local, state, and federal agencies to ensure Oregon voters can cast their ballot safely.”
According to KTVZ, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, explained that while there was” no current information to suggest unrest”, there was” a lot of uncertainty and tension” in the Portland community.
