Election Security Spotlight – Personal Safety Outside of the Office

What It Is

Election officials play a highly visible and trusted role in their communities. In today’s threat environment, that visibility can extend security concerns beyond the workplace and into daily life. Election officials must remain mindful of their safety both at work and in their personal lives.

Why It Matters

Securing your election office is not enough. During busy election cycles, election officials should also consider their security at home, while traveling to and from work, and across their online presence. If threats emerge in the workplace, it’s safe to assume that those threats extend beyond it as well. Taking appropriate precautions can help protect election officials and their families.

What You Can Do

Here are a few measures that election officials can take to protect themselves and their families:

• Keep your doors and windows locked. Whether you’re at home or away, always keep your windows and doors locked.
• Remove your home address from public websites. Limiting public access to your personal information is very important in reducing risk.
• Ensure your property is well lit, especially around entry areas. Install motion sensor lighting around your residence to reduce dark areas for intruders to lurk. Light is a deterrent.
• Install a security system and cameras. Display security system signage on your property and ensure security cameras are visible. Ensure that security cameras cover primary entry points, driveways, and other access paths. If a security system is not within reach, installing a video doorbell camera is another good option.
• Maintain landscaping. Ensure any plants or bushes around your residence remain trimmed. Landscaping should not block the view of a security camera or provide cover for an intruder to hide.
• Secure your vehicle. Always remember to lock your vehicle and park it in well-lit areas.
• Mix up your commute. Don’t take the same route to and from work every day, or for any other regular outings. Bad actors may take notice, so avoid the predictable choice.
• Practice situational awareness. Remain alert of your surroundings when commuting to and from work. Contact local law enforcement if you believe someone may be following you or engaging in suspicious activity near your home, workplace or frequently visited locations.
• Keep your personal life private. Everyone is on social media these days, and it’s easy to get caught up in sharing on these platforms. However, it is vital that you review and strengthen your privacy and security settings across your social media accounts. This includes restricting what content is visible to others and turning off location services so that your location is not shared inadvertently. Avoid posting photos in real time. Sharing details about your home, daily routines, family members, or frequent locations can unintentionally reveal sensitive information.
• Include your family in the conversation. Remind your family that they may also become targets for bad actors. Family members should also increase the security settings on their social media accounts and take caution with any content they share or post. Consider implementing a special code word with your family for emergency situations. Mentioning this code word in conversation will prompt your family members to respond appropriately during an emergency.
• Proceed with caution when traveling. When you travel, the same rules should apply. Refrain from posting photos in real time while traveling. Avoid sharing your destination, itinerary, or the fact that your home is unoccupied until after you return. 
• Take all threats seriously. If you feel threatened in any way, don’t brush it off as insignificant. Contact your local law enforcement to report anything suspicious.

Resources

For more information, please see the publication by the Committee for Safe and Secure Elections  entitled “Personal Safety for Election Officials,” available at https://safeelections.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/CSSE-Personal-Security-for-EOs-1.pdf.

Also, please review the CIS guide, "Managing Your Online Presence,” available at https://managing-your-online-presence.docs.cisecurity.org/en/latest/README.html.

Questions? Contact [email protected].