State officials urge vigilance against voter intimidation

Secretary of the State Denise Merrill has sent a memo to municipal election officials detailing federal and state protections against voter intimidation tactics.

The memo urges vigilance among all Connecticut election officials to make certain voting isn’t being affected by intimidation.

“Our democracy rests on the consent of the citizens of the United States to the rule of their government as expressed at free and fair elections,” it reads. “Connecticut and federal law have strong protections for the fundamental right of Connecticut citizens to freely make their voices heard in our elections, and as election officials it is our duty to ensure that those votes are able to be cast without fear of intimidation or artificial, extralegal barriers.”

While Merrill makes it clear her office is not aware of any voter intimidation plans, she included several state and federal statutes in the memo pertaining to voter intimidation. The memo comes amid President Donald Trump telling his supporters to “go into the polls and watch very carefully.”

Other states are preparing security measures for possible intimidation tactics.

Merrill was joined in the effort to highlight voter protections by state Attorney General William Tong; they held a joint news conference Thursday afternoon.

“If you see something, say something. Voter intimidation and suppression is illegal and unacceptable and will not be tolerated anywhere in Connecticut,” Tong said in a news release. “Working together with the Secretary of the State and our law enforcement partners, we will do everything in our power to protect the safety and legitimacy of this election.”