Here & Now

Poll Workers Get Active Shooter Training Before Election Day

Frederica Freyberg:

With guidance from election and law enforcement officials, poll workers across the state have been training for potential disruptions, even violence, on Election Day. In one small city in south central Wisconsin, the election clerk there hosted trainings about what to do in the event of gun violence while trying to balance between creating awareness and scaring the daylights out of poll workers.

Police Officer:

Let them know it’s an active threat, active shooter.

Frederica Freyberg:

This is active shooter training for a room full of election inspectors in the small city of Stoughton in Dane County.

Police Officer:

Stay away from the doorways, stay away from windows.

Frederica Freyberg:

City clerk Candee Christen and her deputy look on after arranging the training in preparation for Election Day. You seem almost emotional about this. Why?

Candee Christen:

They are my responsibility. This is just a tough time right now, too, because all the clerks are under so much stress right now and working up to November 8th.

Frederica Freyberg:

Stress born of rapidly changing voting procedures and today’s political vitriol.

Donald Trump:

We need a landslide so big the radical left cannot rig it or steal it.

Frederica Freyberg:

Where a room full of poll workers could be sitting ducks.

Candee Christen:

Is it targeted? Could it be? We hate to think that way, but I feel that the environment is dictating that. We really need to be aware and be prepared.

Man:

And this blood is going to soak into this gauze and it will start to clot up.

Frederica Freyberg:

Awareness and preparation that also includes teaching these election inspectors how to pack gunshot wounds to stop bleeding.

Nate Olson:

When you go to the polling locations, just take a glance around and see, is there a nearby room where I can barricade myself into that room?

Frederica Freyberg:

Trainees learn to have their head in the game at all times from consideration of barricading against assailants, to hiding.

Nate Olson:

Again, when you are hiding, don’t hide all together. You want to be spread out amongst the room as far away from each other as you can because if you all go into one spot, it makes it one really big easy target.

Frederica Freyberg:

Officers also describe how the election inspectors can subdue shooters if they are up to it.

Nate Olson:

This is the point where you believe this person is potentially going to kill you or kill someone else. Do you have what it takes?

Frederica Freyberg:

For veteran poll workers whose mastery lies in voting rules and regulations, learning active shooter response seems a sad reality of the current political climate.

Linda Lane:

I think it says a lot about our current political situation. I wish it wasn’t this way. It is. It’s good to have the training and hopefully we won’t need it.

Frederica Freyberg:

Inspectors we spoke with are keenly concerned about unsettled rules around election observers and shifting rules on absentee ballot curing. Meanwhile, U.S. attorneys in Wisconsin announced this week that their offices will handle complaints on Election Day including threats of violence, fraud, and voting rights concerns. The FBI will also have special agents on hand.