Electors pledged to president-elect Joe Biden are taking extraordinary security measures under "unrelenting" harassment from President Donald Trump's supporters.
The electors will cast their votes Monday at statehouses across the country, and Biden's campaign has armed each of theirs with precise logistical information and backup plans in case pro-Trump protesters try to interfere with their arrival, reported Politico.
“I do expect there to be some confrontation on Monday, because that's just how these unpatriotic, so-called Americans have been behaving,” said Marseille Allen, a Biden elector from Michigan, “and it's disappointing. But as an African American and indigenous woman, I'm not surprised at the behavior.”
In addition to precautions necessary to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the Biden campaign has developed a security plan for their electors, who have reported near constant harassment from Trump supporters -- some of whom use terms associated with the Qanon conspiracy theory.
“It’s really been unrelenting,” said Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, a Biden elector. “Some are form emails. Some people might send a form email, but they spiced it up with their own language. I got one today, this one talks about us laundering kickbacks through kids,” an apparent reference to the right-wing conspiracy theory.
Despite the harassment and subdued atmosphere around the event due to pandemic restrictions, electors told Politico they were excited to play a role in history -- and remained confident Trump's supporters couldn't derail Biden's inevitable win.
“If you tackle the guy handing out the Lombardi Trophy, it doesn’t change the game," said Sharif Street, a Biden elector and Pennsylvania state senator.