In recent weeks, a number of voters have reported that political signs have been stolen from their front yards.
Now, at least two Democrats in Alexandria are reporting that they received letters from unknown persons encouraging them not to vote for former Vice President Joseph Biden, and they consider it voter intimidation.
One resident reported through a local listserv: "I received a mailing today, postmarked locally with my handwritten address on envelope but not my name, which contained a printed letter, front and back. The letter states it is being sent to me because I have a Biden sign in my front yard. It goes on to make disgusting allegations about Biden, primarily accusing him of being a pedophile, and tries to persuade me not to vote for him."
While the resident did not indicate any direct threats, the resident felt intimidated by the targeted letter.
With just days to go before the election, local officials are encouraging residents to bring their absentee ballots to official drop-off sites and not mail them — delays with the US Postal Service could mean ballots do not arrive in time to be counted. If you received an absentee ballot and choose to vote in person on Nov. 3 instead, bring your blank absentee ballot with you.
What To Do If You Feel Intimidated
If you receive a letter or otherwise feel intimidated about voting, there are several steps you can take: If it occurs at your polling location, let a poll worker know immediately. If it happens at a voting site OR elsewhere:
- Contact your City or County AND the Virginia Dept. of Elections.
- In addition, incidents should be reported to the Election Protection Hotline (1-866-OUR-VOTE) or the US Department of Justice voting rights hotline (1-800-253-3931).
Most voter intimidation efforts occur at polling places. In September, a group of Trump supporters were accused of voter intimidation when their rally blocked the main walkway to the Fairfax County Government Center, where early voting was occurring. The incident prompted Attorney General Mark Herring to write an official advisory opinion on voter intimidation.
On Thursday, Virginia Attorney General released this video about voter intimidation that outline protections in state and federal law against voter intimidation and harassment.
