A Longmont man said he and a group of friends will be handing out coffee, snacks and calming words to voters to diffuse any tension on Election Day.
“It being 2020 and this is an extremely contentious election and some people are feeding off that tension,” said Noah Hess. “Hopefully we can help calm things down even if it’s an argument between two people in line. I mean how can you be mad at snacks and a free cup of coffee?”
Hess said he and about six other people will be at a table near the St. Vrain Community Hub, 515 Coffman St., to comfort people waiting to cast ballots. He said the group will keep a legal distance from the polling station.
Hess said he and his group are bipartisan and will not be lobbying for any group or issue. They just want to keep voting in Longmont civil and intimidation-free, he said.
His group has been trained in “non-violent communication and de-escalation tactics” according to a news release. A volunteer medic also will be on hand to deal with any medical issues that might come up.
“We are just trying to encourage people to exercise their right to vote, and to let their voices be heard,” Hess said. “We want the day to be conflict-free.”
In the news release, Hess said his group has seen reports of armed men congregating around polling places across the country, and cities across the country were bracing for conflict on Tuesday, with some in Denver and beyond boarding up windows in advance of Election Day.
“Regardless of their purported intentions, these militant groups cause anxiety in the general public and intimidate would-voters,” the release stated.
Hess’ group is working in collaboration with Boulder County Collective and Defending Elections with Nonviolence, according to the release. Hess said this is the first time he’s worked an election in the capacity of a peacekeeper.
“We are just a civic-minded group of people, worried about the election,” Hess said.
Longmont Deputy Police Chief Jeff Satur said the city has been in contact with the FBI and other federal sources to monitor any activity or groups that could interfere with voters. Officers have also been briefed on election laws and voter intimidation.
"Our department is paying attention and we are prepared without going into details," Satur said.
The Boulder County Clerk and Recorder’s Office will monitor any reports of problems at the country’s 20 voting centers, said spokesperson Mircalla Wozniak.
“We have lines of communication going on with our sheriff’s department and the local jurisdictions. They know where our voting centers are at and where our drop boxes are at. We don’t anticipate any problems.”
Boulder County sheriff’s deputies will keep a low profile on Tuesday as they do every Election Day, said sheriff’s spokeswoman Carrie Haverfield.
“We usually don’t like to have uniformed officers in precincts because that can make people feel intimidated,” Haverfield said.
Deputies will be ready to respond to any situation at or near a precinct, she said.
So far, 75% of the county’s registered voters have cast their ballot, Wozniak said.
