District Attorney’s Office Election Task Force Activated for Unprecedented Voting Season Ahead of Nov. 3rd
CONTACT:
Jane Roh, 215–686–8711, jane.roh@phila.gov
PHILADELPHIA (Oct. 7, 2020) — District Attorney Larry Krasner joined with city and community leaders on Wednesday to denounce voter suppression efforts ahead of the November 3rd General Election and to warn against armed militias and violence.
Due to the historic and unprecedented nature of the 2020 election — amid the global COVID-19 pandemic and naked efforts by extremists to confuse and misinform voters — the District Attorney’s Office (DAO) Election Task Force will be activated starting this week and through Election Day.
Members of the public are encouraged to report possible criminal attempts to interfere with or influence voting and election activity by calling the DAO Election Task Force hotline, 215–686–9641, as well as the national nonpartisan Election Protection hotline, 866-OUR-VOTE. Prosecutors and county detectives assigned to the Election Task Force will be reviewing and investigating complaints through and beyond November 3rd, due to the near certainty that the record-high number of early and mail-in voting will delay certification of state and federal elections by days or weeks.
“President Trump repeatedly lies on national television about how elections are run in Philadelphia, because he knows that here in the Cradle of Liberty we will not stand for the continued degradation of our democracy,” District Attorney Krasner said. “My office will work alongside the City Commissioners and our partners in law enforcement, government, and community to ensure that no Philadelphian is intimidated, misled, threatened, or harmed as they cast their ballot. I encourage all Philadelphians who care about our city, Commonwealth, and nation to save the DAO Election Task Force hotline number and to report any attempts to unlawfully interfere with this most sacred American right: 215–686–9641.”
Pennsylvania ballots are already being mailed to voters, who may either mail them back to election offices or drop them off in person at one of seven satellite election offices operated by the Philadelphia City Commissioners. Ten additional satellite offices are scheduled to open in the coming weeks. Under Pennsylvania law, paper ballots cannot be counted until 8:00 p.m., when polls close on Election Day.
“The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot is October 27th, but don’t delay — apply to vote today in one of our election offices or online at http://www.PhiladelphiaVotes.com,” said Lisa Deeley, chair of the Philadelphia City Commissioners. “The Commissioners Office is responsible for what happens inside polling places, and the District Attorney’s Office is our partner on the outside. Together, we will make sure that Philadelphians have a good Election Day experience.”
Professor Mary McCord, a former 20-year Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia and current Legal Director at the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection (ICAP) at Georgetown University Law Center, also spoke via Zoom to explain the law in Pennsylvania regarding unlawful militias.
“Because we’ve seen unlawful heavily armed militia organizations usurping law enforcement authority by purporting to ‘protect’ property during peaceful demonstrations, state and local officials must be vigilant in ensuring that these unlawful organizations do not intimidate voters at the polls in the name of ‘protecting’ against election fraud,” Professor McCord said. “The fact sheets that ICAP has made available provide legal guidance on which officials — including district attorneys and law enforcement officials — can rely to protect the rights of their constituents to safely cast their ballots. And they help voters understand what is lawful at the polls and what is not.”
The ICAP fact sheet on unlawful militias in Pennsylvania is available here. Fact sheets for all 50 states, which include guidance for law enforcement on the presence of unauthorized private militia groups at polling locations or voter registration events are available here.
“Pennsylvania has among the most permissive gun laws in the Northeast, but we need to be clear: the Second Amendment does not protect private, unauthorized militia activity,” District Attorney Krasner added. “I don’t care if you are licensed and permitted to carry: You may not stand near the entrance of a satellite election office or polling location, or enter said location, brandishing a firearm in an attempt to menace voters or election workers. That is dangerous and anti-American behavior, and it will be prosecuted by my office.”
Video of today’s press conference is available on the DAO YouTube channel.
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The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office is the largest prosecutor’s office in Pennsylvania, and one of the largest in the nation. It serves the more than 1.5 million citizens of the City and County of Philadelphia, employing 600 lawyers, detectives, and support staff. The District Attorney’s Office is responsible for prosecution of approximately 40,000 criminal cases annually.
