Feds monitoring Southern California elections amid safety, security concerns

Federal authorities have been working with county elections officials and law enforcement in Southern California to prepare for Election Day, part of broader national efforts to monitor elections amid concerns over threats to safety and democracy.
For months, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California has been working with local and federal officials to plan and prepare for elections-related security issues, threats or violations of voting laws in the seven counties the federal prosecutor’s office oversees: Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside and San Luis Obispo counties. The U.S. Justice Department is carrying out similar efforts across the country.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas F. Rybarczyk has been appointed District Election Officer, a post in which he will lead monitoring of elections in the Southern California district — working to prevent federal crimes such as intimidation and discrimination against voters, election fraud and threats against poll workers and elections officials. 
FBI special agents will be on call across field offices on Election Day.
Since 2020, elections workers and voting centers around the country are taking heightened safety measures due to abuse and harassment being experienced by workers, according to a survey this year by the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law. More than a third of elections officials surveyed reported they have been harassed, threatened or abused.
Meanwhile, allegations of election fraud and the security of votes has also become a point of concern. On Monday, incendiary devices were set off at ballot drop boxes and destroyed hundreds of votes in two cities, Portland, Oregon and nearby Vancouver, Washington, the Associated Press reported. One official described the it as a “direct attack on democracy.”
Concerns over the safety of poll workers, elections officials, political candidates and others directly involved in elections led to the creation of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force in 2021. 
The task force addresses violence and threats such as so-called swatting calls targeting elections workers, in which hoax 911 calls are made to send in a SWAT response. Currently, the task force has 20 cases listed online involving threats to elections workers, political candidates and others, some with defendants already convicted and some of the federal cases still ongoing. 
They involve incidents ranging from a San Diego man accused of leaving a voicemail threatening violence against an election official to a Florida man charged with threatening to kill his primary opponent in a congressional race in 2021. Among more violent cases are a former congressional candidate in New Mexico who is facing charges alleging he masterminded a shooting spree targeting elections officials in 2022 and a Kentucky man who pleaded guilty to shooting at a mayoral candidate the same year.
While announcing the efforts underway in Southern California, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada addressed concerns over protecting democracy as well as ensuring the safety of those tasked with handling ballots.
“The right to vote is fundamental to our democracy,” Estrada said in a statement. “My office will be vigilant in upholding the ability of each citizen to vote freely and fairly – without interference or discrimination. Likewise, election officials and staff must be able to work in safety.”
Last wee, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a stern warning ahead of the Nov. 5 election as he announced developments in four federal elections crime cases.
“As we approach Election Day, the Justice Department’s warning remains clear: anyone who illegally threatens an election worker, official, or volunteer will face the consequences,” Garland said in a statement. “For our democracy to function, Americans who serve the public must be able to do their jobs without fearing for their lives.”