US election 2024 under threat? What is concerning White House race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump?

US election 2024 officials across the country have reportedly voiced concerns over the heated political atmosphere, warning of narratives fueled by misinformation ahead of the November election that have led to real-world threats, as per an AFP report.

"We're daily receiving threats, whether it's through voicemails, emails, social media or in person," Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson told CBS News this month. "And it's escalating."

The US Postal Inspection Service told AFP that it and the FBI were investigating "suspicious mailings sent to election officials in several states," some of which contained an unknown substance.


Lisa Deeley, a Democrat on the Philadelphia elections board, lamented that "fantastical charges of widespread fraud and abuse" continue to circulate, telling AFP it is the "same playbook" used by a "certain candidate" in 2020, an obvious reference to Donald Trump.

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Following his election loss to Joe Biden, then-president Trump unleashed an unprecedented torrent of false claims of fraud, and targeted election officials by name on social media -- including Deeley's former colleague.

As he seeks to regain the White House, Trump continues to allege the 2020 election was "stolen." "Bad, bad things happened (in 2020) -- we're not going to let it happen again," the 78-year-old candidate said this month.

With rising hostilities, election boards are increasingly adding physical safety to their typical duties -- ensuring the voting process is fair and efficient.

While Silas said she did not know of any specific threats to Cobb County, they were nonetheless enacting "best practices with respect to safety."

"Given the hyper-partisan environment, and things that have gone on in other jurisdictions, we would not be doing our jobs if we were not considering and undertaking" precautions, she said.

Measures adopted so far include outfitting staff with two-way radios that have direct connections to emergency services, and increasing police presence around voting sites.

In Maricopa County, which includes Arizona's capital Phoenix, officials have invested "metal detectors, in fencing, in cameras," Republican official Bill Gates told CBS.

Election officials are particularly worried that the narrow margins expected between Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris could make it difficult, once again, to quickly call the race.

Recent changes to election law and the Covid pandemic led many voters in Pennsylvania to vote by mail that year, creating a huge strain.

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Several elections later and with a new operations center to process ballots, Bluestein said he is "cautiously optimistic" the city is better prepared.

If the election comes down to Pennsylvania, as analysts say it potentially could, that rule could delay knowing the result for several days, intensifying scrutiny on the state's election workers.

Elections administrators have no choice but to "continue our crusade to combat mis- and disinformation up and until Election Day and beyond," said Deeley, assuring that Philadelphia "has our ground game covered."

FAQs

Q1. When is US election 2024?
A1. US election 2024 polling day is on November 5.

Q2. Who are contesting in US election 2024?
A2. Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are contesting in US election 2024.