Why election officials are partnering more closely with police : NPR
Police officers stand outside a polling station in Las Vegas on Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024. In recent years, election administrators have formed closer working relationships with local law enforcement. Ronda Churchill/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Ronda Churchill/AFP via Getty Images When Chris Davis first started working in law enforcement over 30 years ago, elections would come and go relatively unnoticed. “Election Day was something, as a police officer, you may not even realize was happening,” he said. “It wouldn’t even come up on roll calls.” Davis is now chief of police in Green Bay, Wis. And elections have rapidly become a big part of his job, something he plans for year-round. “I think a lot of that is just because we’re right in the middle of the Wisconsin battleground,” Davis said. “I remember really being struck when I came here at just how, almost, nervous a lot of city staff were about elections.” Davis’ experience reflects a trend experts have noticed across the country: Since the 2020 election, local law enforcement …
