Security is ramping up ahead of Election Day in Arizona

PHOENIX (AZ Family) — Voters will see plenty of security at the polls on Election Day in Arizona

US Department of Justice sends monitors to polling places in Arizona to help keep an eye on things.

This is not new as they did the same thing in 2020. However, this time they will be going to more counties in Arizona and more states across the country.

“I would like to send a message to the voters of Arizona. First and foremost, your safety is extremely important to us,” he said Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes.

As Election Day approaches, safety is a top priority across the state.

“The last thing our community needs to be afraid to vote. The last thing officials and people working on elections need to fear. We don’t live in fear,” Fontes said.

On election night, state and county leaders are reminding voters about the work they do around the clock to keep everyone safe.

“This is no different than any major event that any law enforcement agency plans. It is unfortunate that it has to be linked to election security. Since 2020, most of you have seen the dynamic change with what we do with the tabulation center.” Maricopa County Sheriff Russ Skinner said.

He added that law enforcement throughout the Valley will be on standby at the polls, and DPS will also be ready to assist.

“To make sure that democracy is maintained and that we get those ballots back to technology,” Skinner said.

The Justice Department is sending crews to monitor election activity in 27 states, including Arizona. They go to Apache, Maricopa, Pima and Yuma counties.

These monitors will travel throughout the counties, making sure that federal voting laws are not violated and that eligible voters are not turned away.

Runbeck Electoral Services, a company which works with 30 states and operates out of Phoenixprovides another safety tool.

“We recently started selling panic buttons to counties because of all the threats to election workers,” said Jeff Ellington, who runs Runbeck Election Services.

The company said it has sold about 1,000 of these panic buttons across the country. When stressed, they contact 911 immediately.

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