As Chair of the New York State Senate Committee on Elections, I am deeply alarmed by the recently intercepted mailings going to elections officials and congressional offices here in New York, and across the country. These instances are part of increased intimidation tactics by bad actors seeking to undermine our election operations and create chaos ahead of the midterm elections. I am relieved these mailings were intercepted by law enforcement and did not reach their targets, but it highlights the importance of protecting our elections, especially the people on the front lines who are working hard to preserve our democracy. 

In the months ahead of the midterm elections, the Brennan Center for Justice reported that “nearly 1 in 4 officials said they are concerned about being assaulted at home or at work,” and “fifty-two percent reported concerns about the safety of their colleagues.”

Earlier this year I introduced the Elections Officer Protection Act (S8646A) to address these concerns, enhance protections for poll workers and elections officers, and prohibit the intimidation, obstruction, or the unlawful dissemination of personal information of these workers. 

Our elections are safe and secure, and we are working to support election workers at the polls and beyond. 

We need to continue to affirm the integrity of elections as they face attacks. The best thing to do to combat these attacks is to go out and vote.