Authorities warn of political violence as Central CA officials work to protect your vote

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- With caller high-profile voting scares astatine the apical of voters' minds, elections officials accidental they are moving astir the timepiece to support your ballot successful Central California.

"We are precise assured that successful Fresno County, it volition beryllium a escaped and just election," Fresno County Clerk and Registrar of Voters James Kus said.

His squad has been preparing for months, adjacent considering the hazard of atrocious actors.

"We bash person information plans astatine each of our locations, truthful if there's a carnal threat, we're prepared for that arsenic well," Kus said.

The anticipation of carnal threats comes amid heightened governmental rhetoric crossed the country.

"ABC News obtained documents from the Department of Homeland Security's Intelligence Office, wherever they really said retired large successful a confidential connection conscionable meant for instrumentality enforcement and authorities officials that they are concerned, that, irrespective of governmental leanings, that this situation could good pb to acts of violence," ABC News Chief Investigative Reporter Josh Margolin said.

Violence astatine polling places is uncommon but notable erstwhile it happens.

"I consciousness similar tensions are adjacent higher," Merced's Bre Villegas said. She saw the images of charred ballots successful the Pacific Northwest.

She did not privation her ballot to beryllium successful a driblet box.

"I decided to conscionable nonstop it successful by message alternatively of going to driblet it disconnected oregon going to ballot successful person," Villegas said.

In California, voters tin way their vote-by-mail ballots online to guarantee officials received it. But voters accidental they besides person questions astir cybersecurity and whether extracurricular actors could manipulate counting machines.

"It's air-gapped," Kus said. "You cannot hack it the mode idiosyncratic thinks of from the movies wherever idiosyncratic is jumping connected a machine and hacking a governmental program."

Even with home and overseas threats, Kus and Margolin accidental predetermination systems are designed to maximize information and support voters.

"Voting is safe, voting is secure, ballots are going to beryllium counted, and the risks of immoderate benignant of imaginable violence, oregon adjacent the hazard of immoderate benignant of fraud oregon predetermination rigging (is) minimal," Margolin said.

If you bash spot something, officials privation you to accidental something.

The U.S. Attorney's bureau has named a District Election Officer for complaints astir voting rights concerns oregon imaginable fraud.

The nationalist telephone fig is (916) 554-2723.

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