The Federal Government Designates Congress’ Certification of Electoral Votes in the Upcoming 2024 Presidential Election as a “National Special Security Event.
The Secret Service announced on Wednesday that the federal government has designated the certification of electoral votes in the upcoming 2024 presidential election as a “National Special Security Event.” This move was approved by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and means law enforcement agencies will significantly bolster security for the January 6, 2025 tally, aiming to prevent another riot at the Capitol Building.
Eric Ranaghan, the special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Dignitary Protective Division, stated that “National Special Security Events are events of the highest national significance.” He added that the US Secret Service, in collaboration with federal, state, and local partners, is committed to developing and implementing a comprehensive and integrated security plan to ensure the safety and security of this event and its participants.
The upcoming count of state electoral votes, conducted by lawmakers during a joint session of Congress about two months after Election Day, will be the first since rioters stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, in an attempt to prevent Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 victory over Donald Trump.
The Secret Service noted that the special designation followed a request made by Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser, and that DHS took recommendations made by the House Select January 6 Committee and the Government Accountability Office into consideration as well. An Executive Steering Committee composed of senior representatives from federal, state, and local law enforcement and public safety partners will convene in the coming weeks to finalize the security procedures for the event.
According to the Secret Service, this designation allows significant resources from the federal government, as well as from state and local partners, to be utilized in a comprehensive security plan. When an event is designated a National Special Security Event, the US Secret Service assumes its mandated role as the lead agency for the design and implementation of the operational security plan.
The January 20, 2025 presidential inauguration, and both the Democratic and Republican national conventions held earlier this year were previously given the special designation by the Secret Service. Both conventions were marked by a significant presence of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers and multiple layers of security perimeters, which prevented protesters from disrupting official proceedings.
