RELEASE: Gottheimer Announces New, Federal Bipartisan Actions to Protect Ballot Boxes

HACKENSACK, NJ — Today, November 1, 2024, U.S. Congressman Gottheimer (NJ-5) announced the new bipartisan Ballot Box Protection Act to explicitly make destroying a ballot drop box a federal crime which is currently not the case. Additionally, Gottheimer is urging New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, New Jersey Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State Tahesha Way, and FBI Director Wray and DHS Secretary Mayorkas, to immediately implement FBI and DHS’ Joint Intelligence Bulletin recommendations to protect election workers from harm.

Video of Gottheimer and local officials from today’s announcement can be found here.  

This work further expands on Gottheimer’s “Election Integrity Strategy,” which includes his bipartisan “Unity Commitment,” which commits Members to respect the results of the upcoming 2024 presidential election, attend the Presidential Inauguration, and serve as a voice for calm, regardless of who wins.

Poll Workers Continue to face threats of harassment, intimidation, and violence:

• The FBI and DHS’ Joint Intelligence Bulletin (Bulletin) recently identified serious threats of violence from extremists motivated by election- related conspiracy theories. 

o    This report identified potential targets which included election, poll workers, and election infrastructure.

• According to a Brennan Center study in May, 38% of all local election officials report experiencing threats, harassment, or abuse. 
• More than a quarter are concerned about the threats and harassment impacting their family and loved ones.
• While there were more than 100 threats of death or violence made to U.S. election workers and officials during the 2020 election, there have only been thirteen federal prosecutions.
• More than one-third of local election officials know at least one person who resigned at least in part because of safety concerns. This is up from 22% in 2023.
• Earlier this week, the Justice Department unsealed a complaint against a man in Philadelphia who vowed to skin alive and kill a party official recruiting volunteer poll watchers.
• Last week, a Texas man punched an elderly poll worker after the official asked him to remove his campaign hat while voting to comply with electioneering laws. 
• In New Jersey, a woman physically and verbally assaulted a poll worker who asked her to remove her campaign merchandise while voting, as required by law.

Gottheimer’s New Election Integrity Strategy Actions:

• First, Gottheimer is introducing the bipartisan Ballot Box Protection Act, which will explicitly make it a federal crime to destroy a ballot drop box. 

o    This will ensure there is legal ground to quickly prosecute, in federal court, those who commit these anti-American, anti-democratic acts across our country. If you burn a ballot drop box, punishments will be set to a $20,000 fine for each ballot you burn and 20 years in prison.

• Second, Gottheimer is sending a letter urging Governor Murphy and New Jersey Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State Tahesha Way to immediately adopt the FBI and DHS Bulletin recommendations to safeguard election workers from threats. 

o    These recommendations include issuing badges or other identification for poll workers to display while working, ensuring polling places have a security plan that takes full accountability of visitors, and conducting periodic checks of these security procedures to make sure they are working.

• Third, following their FBI/DHS Bulletin and recommendations, Gottheimer is asking FBI Director Wray and DHS Secretary Mayorkas to increase their cooperation with New Jersey state election and law enforcement officials to immediately deploy additional resources to protect election workers and polling sites.
• Finally, these new steps build on Gottheimer’s previously announced Election Integrity Strategy, which includes: 

o    The bipartisan Election Worker and Polling Place Protection Act in the House. Senator Ossoff is also leading this bill in the United States Senate. It will help expand protections for election workers and polling locations against threats of violence and harassment.

o    Gottheimer is working to pass the bipartisan Protect Our Local Workers Act — or POL Workers Act —to ensure that the already-funded Help America Vote Act or HAVA grants can be utilized for physical security for election workers and polling places. 

o    Gottheimer is supporting State Senator Brian Stack’s bill in the New Jersey Legislature, which makes it a crime to intimidate, threaten, or coerce any election official or election worker in the discharge of their duties.

“With the legislation I’m announcing today, we’re taking a stand to protect our democracy, so that every voter can cast their ballot without fear, and every election worker can serve without threats. Because the right to vote is sacred — and it is our duty to defend it. There should be nothing partisan about this. So, to the lawless thugs who are considering interfering with our democracy, don’t even think about it,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5).

Gottheimer was joined by New Jersey State Senator Gordon Johnson, Bergen County Sheriff Anthony Cureton, Bergen County Clerk John Hogan, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella, Bergen County Undersheriff Jin Sung Kim, and Bergen County Chief of Detectives and Head of the Election Integrity Task Force Matthew Finck.

Below: Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella and Sheriff Anthony Cureton at today’s announcement for new legislation to protect poll workers.

Gottheimer’s remarks as prepared for delivery:

Good afternoon. Thank you for welcoming us here this morning.  

I want to thank Prosecutor Musella and Chief of Detectives Finck [FINK] for their important work on creating the Bergen County Election Task Force. We need more robust efforts like it to protect our election workers, their families, and our democracy across our state and country.

The people behind me — the Prosecutor, Sheriff, Clerk, and Chief of Detectives — are responsible for ensuring 1 million people can vote.  

The most sacred right our Constitution affords us is the right to vote. That right is core to our democracy and fundamental to the peaceful transfer of power. It’s the chance for Americans to have their voices heard at the ballot box — it’s a huge gift and an enormous responsibility. We must do everything to protect the right to vote and to secure our elections. That’s exactly why we are here today – I’m announcing new federal action to protect our poll workers and secure our elections. 

First, in multiple states across the country, there are efforts to undermine our democracy by destroying ballots and election infrastructure.

The FBI and DHS’ Joint Intelligence Bulletin (Bulletin) recently identified serious threats of violence from extremists motivated by election- related conspiracy theories. What’s worse, is this report identified potential targets which included election, poll workers, and election infrastructure. This is not a problem we can ignore — it is happening now. 

This week, in Oregon and Washington State, lawless thugs burned ballot drop boxes and the ballots voters had dropped in those boxes. That’s directly interfering with the right to vote. In Bergen County, we have more than 30 of these ballot drop boxes, including one across the street.

The disgusting attempts to burn ballots and erase the votes of countless citizens are un-American, and anyone who tries to interfere with our elections should be severely punished. We must hold accountable anyone who tries to upend our democracy.

Second, as we speak, thousands of poll workers here in New Jersey and across America are performing the critical responsibility of overseeing the vote in the 2024 election, ensuring that free and fair elections remain the crown jewel of our democracy. Yet, many of them, are facing unprecedented threats just for overseeing an election.

Earlier this week, the Justice Department unsealed a complaint against a man in Philadelphia who vowed to skin alive and kill a party official recruiting volunteer poll watchers. Last week, a Texas man punched an elderly poll worker after the official asked him to remove his campaign hat while voting to comply with electioneering laws. In our own state, a woman physically and verbally assaulted a poll worker who asked her to remove her campaign merchandise while voting, as required by New Jersey law.

According to a recent study by the Brennan Center in May, thirty-eight percent of all local election officials report experiencing threats, harassment, or abuse. More than a quarter are concerned about the threats and harassment impacting their family and loved ones. And while there were more than 100 threats of death or violence made to U.S. election workers and officials during the 2020 election, there have only been thirteen federal prosecutions. That’s outrageous.

It should come as no surprise that more than one-third of local election officials know at least one person who resigned at least in part because of safety concerns. That’s up from 22 percent in 2023. So, we are losing more and more poll and election workers who are scared to work at voting sites, while their work continues to grow more and more important. 

Our poll workers and election officials are patriots — serving not a particular party, but rather their fellow citizens and country and are protecting the right to vote. I refuse to stand by while extremists try to undermine the backbone of our democracy. The voices of Americans should echo in polling places, not the voices of bullies and extremists.

That’s why I’m proud to announce the next steps in my Election Integrity Strategy to protect election and poll workers, and to also protect the very fabric of our democratic system.

First, I am introducing the bipartisan Ballot Box Protection Act, which will explicitly make it a federal crime to destroy a ballot drop box. Right now, it’s not. We need this legislation, co-sponsored by Representative Nicole Maliotakis, so that there is legal ground to quickly prosecute, in federal court, those who commit these anti-American, anti-democratic acts across our country. If you burn a ballot drop box, you will face a $20,000 fine for each ballot you burn and 20 years in prison. So, to the lawless thugs who are considering interfering with our democracy, don’t even think about it.

Second, later today, I’m sending a letter urging Governor Murphy and Lieutenant Governor Way to immediately adopt the FBI and DHS recommendations to safeguard those who protect our democracy, so that all voters can cast their ballots without fear and every election worker can serve without threats. These recommendations include issuing badges or other identification for poll workers to display while working, ensuring polling places have a security plan that takes full accountability of visitors, and conducting periodic checks of these security procedures to make sure they are working.

I want to commend Governor Murphy and the state. Lieutenant Governor Way, on all their work to date to protect our poll workers.

Third, following their FBI/DHS Bulletin and recommendations, I’ve asked FBI Director Wray and DHS Secretary Mayorkas to increase their cooperation with New Jersey state election and law enforcement officials and to immediately deploy additional resources to protect election workers and polling sites.

Finally, these new steps today build on my previously announced Election Integrity Strategy, including the bipartisan Election Worker and Polling Place Protection Act in the House, which Senator Ossoff is leading in the United States Senate. It will help expand protections for election workers and polling locations against threats of violence and harassment.

I am also working to pass the bipartisan Protect Our Local Workers Act — or POL Workers Act —to ensure that the already-funded Help America Vote Act or HAVA grants can be utilized for physical security for election workers and polling places. No future Election Assistance Commission should be able to undermine these grants. They’re needed now more than ever before.

And, finally, in addition to these federal steps, I’m supporting State Senator Brian Stack’s bill in the New Jersey Legislature, which makes it a crime to intimidate, threaten, or coerce any election official or election worker in the discharge of their duties.

Our elections cannot — and must not — be a partisan issue. Red or blue, win or lose, we must work together to maintain the public’s trust in our elections and in the voting process.

In 2022, with Sen. Susan Collins from Maine, working closely with the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, I led in the House the bipartisan, bicameral Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act. This critical legislation helps enshrine the peaceful transition of power by closing loopholes in our electoral count process that extremists tried to use to subvert the results of the 2020 presidential election. There never should have been a question that Vice President Pence, or a slate of “fake electors,” could commandeer an election. Now, because of my legislation, there never can be again.

It’s exactly why, right now, I’m leading a bipartisan “Unity Commitment” with Congressman Don Bacon and more than thirty other members of Congress. Together, we have pledged to respect the outcome of the presidential election, regardless of how it lands, to encourage peace and civility before, during, and following the vote, and to attend the Presidential Inauguration. We have urged, and continue to urge, all of our colleagues to join us.

I was there in the House Chamber on January 6th, and saw, with my own eyes, through a gas mask, lawless thugs from the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, including some from our own state, breach the United States Capitol. These insurrectionists used American flag poles to beat police officers. I will not stand by and allow that to ever happen again.

Election denialism not only undermines our democracy, but it leads to the threats and violence we are talking about today.

We cannot — and will not — tolerate election denialism or unrest, and no one should fear for their safety just for making sure ballots are counted fairly.

Without democracy we would not have a country. So, again I want to thank our courageous election workers who continue to come to work, despite the efforts of those cowardly enough to try and intimidate them. 

I want to thank those who are protecting our ballots, at drop boxes or at voting stations. We must always get their backs, and show up for them, to make sure they can work without fear as they uphold our voting process. That’s the strength of America and of our values.

With the legislation I’m announcing today, we’re taking a stand to protect our democracy, so that every voter can cast their ballot without fear, and every election worker can serve without threats. Because the right to vote is sacred — and it is our duty to defend it. There should be nothing partisan about this.

When we stand together, there is no threat too great, no issue too tough to solve, and no future brighter than the one we will craft together — one vote at a time.

In the greatest country in the world, when we put country over party, and fight to protect our election workers, our elections, and our democracy, I know that our best days will always be ahead of us.

May God bless you, and may God continue to bless the United States of America. 

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