The upcoming counting and certification of electoral votes at the Capitol in January will have significantly increased security measures, according to the Secret Service. The Department of Homeland Security has designated the event as a national special security event, similar to the State of the Union address and the Super Bowl. This designation is in response to the chaos that occurred during the Jan. 6 riot in 2021, when a mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol. The Secret Service will oversee the planning for the event.
The designation of the January vote count as a national special security event is the first of its kind for the certification of electoral votes. It is meant to prevent any repeats of the violence and disruption witnessed during the previous count. The Secret Service, in collaboration with various law enforcement agencies, is working on a comprehensive security plan to ensure the safety and security of the event and its participants.
The security designation unlocks federal, state, and local resources to be used in the security plan. A panel of representatives from different levels of law enforcement will meet to develop and implement the plan in the coming weeks. The heightened security measures come in response to the violence and damage caused during the 2021 attack on the Capitol, which resulted in four deaths, numerous assaults on police officers, and significant damage to the building. The Mayor of Washington, Muriel Bowser, has requested the designation, and the Secret Service is taking proactive steps to ensure the safety of the event.
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