Palm Beach County elections director warns against voter intimidation

There will be no armed police at polling stations, but the head of the election commission said she expects increased patrols nearby for early voting and on Election Day.

One person was detained for intimidation of voters.

Five days before a a high-stakes election it is expected set attendance records in Palm Beach County, Supervisor of Elections Wendy Sartori Link said that no intimidation of voters will be tolerated.

Link held a press conference Thursday morning in which she made an effort to reassure voters that there is no need to be afraid to vote at one of the 26 early voting locations or any of the county’s 377 polling places open on Election Day. .

“We are working closely with the sheriff’s office and local law enforcement to stop any intimidation of voters at the polls,” she said as workers opened mailed ballots and filed them into machines. “We do not allow harassment and intimidation of voters and will report this to the law enforcement agencies accordingly. … Everyone takes it very seriously.”

The polling stations are guarded, but not armed law enforcement officers.

“We will not have armed law enforcement officers at the polling stations. This is considered voter intimidation, but we will have them patrol nearby,” Link added, noting that she expects increased law enforcement measures near polling stations.

So far, only one person has been detained for harassing voters.

Nicholas Farley, 30, faces up to 10 years in prison on two counts of voter intimidation and voter interference after he yelled insults at a woman canvassing outside a Loxahatchee polling station on the third day of early voting. He was detained on October 27. He is currently being held at the county jail on $200,000 bond, charged with two felony hate crimes, voter influence and voter intimidation.

Link did not address the incident directly during the press conference, but said her office staff would respond to an incident that would occur within 150 feet — half a football field — of polling places. According to her, law enforcement agencies should be notified as soon as possible about everything that happens outside of this radius.

She said that voters should not accept the harassment of name-calling and stalking in parking lots.

“People are following people to their cars, pressing on them, calling them names, trying to tell them they shouldn’t be voting in this country, things like that,” Link said. “This is voter intimidation, and if they can’t get the person to stop, they should call law enforcement.”

Schools and polling stations

Ninety-three Palm Beach County polling places are located in county schools, and although students will not be in school on Election Day, the usual security will be present. Faculty and staff will be on many campuses for a professional development day.

State law requires a school safe officer to be present on every campus when it is open, and state law authorizes school police officers to make arrests and carry weapons. The Palm Beach County School Police Department has more than 200 officers covering 182 campuses.

Palm Beach Post staff members Katherine Kokal and Hannah Phillips contributed to this report.

Anne Heggis is an insurance reporter at The Palm Beach Postpart of the USA TODAY Florida network. You can contact her at [email protected]. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.