2024 election updates: Harris to pledge to find ‘common ground’ in DC speech

Officials in Maricopa County, Arizona, the nation’s fourth-largest county, said Tuesday they have been planning for years to secure polling places and the tabulation center on Election Day.

The county at the center of 2020 election conspiracy theories and threats will have one of the most intense security operations in the country with mounted patrols and drones for surveillance and security cameras, according to Maricopa County Sheriff Russ Skinner.

Skinner told reporters there haven’t been “many threats” this year, but he expects to see more as Election Day approaches and in the coming days.

“There is no place in politics or in this process where criminal activity is allowed and there is zero tolerance that we as public safety will take any type of criminal act or any type of problem that comes up relatively lightly,” Skinner said. “We want this to be a safe and secure process.”

During the news conference, Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates said a person with a hidden camera recently recorded a training session in the county and posted videos and photos of election workers on social media.

“Election workers are banned, they should be banned,” Gates said. “They should not be threatened. Their names and pictures should not be displayed. And I have full confidence that we won’t see that from now on.”

Gates added that the county has received more than 1 million advance ballots and said that for the first time since 2006, there will be a two-page ballot, which will mean it will take longer than usual to fill out ballots.

The county has increased the number of voting booths and staffing to alleviate long lines at the polls.

-ABC News’ Laura Romero