FBI speaks on plans to keep voting safe in Nashville
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Law enforcement agencies in the state and nationwide are ramping up security to keep voting safe on this Election Day.
According to a new threat assessment obtained by ABC News, the FBI received more than 2,000 threats against election workers which have led to at least 100 investigations and 20 people being charged.
"It's unfortunate when individuals take action in violent ways," said Richard Baer, supervisory special agent of the FBI in Nashville. "Any American citizen, whoever you might be, at any role in society, should feel safe and secure through this whole entire process."
FBI setting up 'election command post' ahead of Election Day in Tennessee
The FBI said it's operating a 24/7 National Election Command Post (NECP) in Washington, D.C. with around 80 people responding to election security issues around the clock. The NECP is tasked with tracking 'significant complaints' from all 55 FBI field offices through their respective command posts, one of which is located in Nashville and run by the FBI in Tennessee.
"We've held training calls, we've gone and traveled our agents and intelligence analysts and professional support individuals to conferences to get ready, to understand the nuanced criminal statutes that could apply to the historical threat-based reporting that we received to understand what the threat could look like," Baer said.
The FBI Nashville Field Office said it will work closely with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to handle any violent activity and protect Americans' right to a free and fair election.
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"We'll follow our tip line as tips and allegations come through," Baer said. "We'll find the right response for whatever the allegation might be, and work with our partnerships to assure that it finds the right hands and it has the right action plan to assure that it's mitigated."
The FBI in Tennessee encouraged citizens to report election fraud and abuse directly to .
