Authorities in Philadelphia showed a united front ahead of the 2022 midterm elections on Tuesday, guaranteeing “safe and democratic” voting across the city.
The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office is leading a task force of law enforcement and officials to deter any voter intimidation and election day crime.
"Whoever wants to intimidate the vote in Philadelphia faces charges and serious charges," District Attorney Larry Krasner said. "We're going to be working 16-hour shifts and we're going to be on the streets to make sure everything goes smoothly."
The task force urges those who have problems or sees something that isn’t right to call 911 or 215-686-VOTE (9641).
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“We know that the ballot counting process is going to be slow and take several days because the legislature, unlike other states, voted not to start the process until after Election Day,” Krasner added. “We are going to be attentive to everything, no matter what party you belong to.”
Krasner made reference to two individuals, from another state, who arrived at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia last election day while armed. He said they were prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Krasner also said the Jan. 6 2021 attack at the U.S. Capitol signaled to his office that there should be heightened security on election day.
“Anybody who thinks this is a time for crime. Anybody who thinks the way to deal with votes is with bullets and guns, well, we’ve got handcuffs for you. We’ve got jail cells for you,” Krasner said.
Decision 2022
Coverage of the 2022 elections
For his part, Mayor Jim Kenney stressed the importance of maintaining a safe election process while praising the work of poll workers.
“We have to be patient because they will be counting every vote and we want them all to be counted,” Kenney said.
Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw added that the number of uniformed officers on the streets will be increasing, but with certain limitations. “By law, our personnel cannot be near a polling station if it is not within a radius of 100 feet, more so because we are armed,” she said, adding that, “we have people with whom they can communicate in case of any problem and we will be ready to arrive at the place where these problems are registered."
Outlaw revealed that the uniformed officers will be using their body cameras.
