Leaders in the Pacific Northwest of the United States are making preparations for potential public safety concerns just one day ahead of the 2024 election, to be held on Nov. 5, 2024. Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington state made an announcement last Friday evening, revealing he had activated some members of the National Guard to be on stand-by in case local police and the Washington State Patrol need additional support during election week.
With how hard the left worked to divide Americans in the lead up to this election, it would not surprise me at all to see unstable individuals, particularly on the left, come flying out of the woodwork to cause trouble and justify looting and rioting in the wake of a Trump victory. Remember how bad things got in the wake of George Floyd’s murder? I have a sneaking suspicion that this is going to be far worse.
As of this writing, it’s not known exactly how many member of the National Guard have been activated, however Inslee’s office gave Adjutant General Gent. Welsh the authority to decide how many members to have on stand-by.
via KOIN:
Inslee’s office said the decision to activate the National Guard was in light of warnings from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security about the potential for threats to election infrastructure nationwide and after ballot box fires in Portland and Vancouver on Oct. 28. Inslee’s office said the decision to activate the National Guard was in light of warnings from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security about the potential for threats to election infrastructure nationwide and after ballot box fires in Portland and Vancouver on Oct. 28.
“This is a purely precautionary measure taken in response to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s nationwide warnings regarding threats to election infrastructure and other recent activities that have occurred in southwestern Washington,” a Nov. 1 press release from Inslee’s office went on to explain. Soldiers from the National Guard will be on stand-by from Nov. 4 through Nov. 7.
Joseph Siemandel, the state public affairs officer for the Washington National Guard told KOIN 6 News the move by the governor was “precautionary” in case their support is quickly needed.
“We are always planning and preparing for possible threats – it’s the prudent thing to do,” Siemandel remarked about the move. “We do the same for fire season, approaching winter weather, etc.”
And it’s not only Washington that’s preparing for the worst case scenario to unfold by calling upon the National Guard. Nevada currently has 60 troops on stand-by for Election Day. Gov. Tina Kotek from Oregona spoke with KOIN on Monday and told them that she’s not activated her state’s National Guard, saying, “The Governor’s office is closely monitoring and coordinating with local, state, and federal agencies to ensure Oregon voters can safely cast their ballot.”
If the Oregon National Guard is activated, the governor’s office said the number of troops and their roles would depend on the needs requested by law enforcement. “In the lead-up to the election, the Governor has asserted voter intimidation or any criminal act to undermine the upcoming election or threaten public safety is un-American and will not be tolerated,” Kotek’s office said, pointing to a letter Kotek signed with other elected officials calling for “respectful civic participation.”
In a statement to KOIN 6 News, the Oregon Military Department said while the National Guard is not on stand-by, they are ready to support law enforcement if asked. “We are not on standby at this time. However, we are trained and ready to support if and when the need should arise upon request through the incident command system. The Oregon National Guard is the military service of choice for Oregonians as we all live and reside in communities across the state we support,” said Lt. Col. Stephen Bomar, director of public affairs with the Oregon Military Department.
It’s sad that the electoral process has devolved into this level of chaos and madness. Once, a long, long time ago, we could all express our political views without it ending important relationships. We could vote for the candidate of our choice and not be made to feel guilty about it, or like we need to oppose those who disagree with us using violence. A Democrat and Republican could be friends.
We’ve lost that sense of unity. We desperately need to get it back.
"*" indicates required fields