Homeland Security on Wednesday officially designated the Electoral College vote count and certification as a special national security event, putting the U.S. Secret Service in charge of security surrounding the process.
The move comes in response to the 2021 count, which saw a mob storm the Capitol to try to head off the count that certified President Biden as the winner over former President Donald Trump.
The vote counting joins other major events such as the national nominating conventions, presidential inaugurations and the president’s annual State of the Union address.
But this is the first time the Electoral College counting and certification has been designated.
The move is largely of bureaucratic significance, putting one federal agency in charge of forging and carrying out a security plan that’s followed by other federal, state and local agencies.
“The U.S. Secret Service, in collaboration with our federal, state, and local partners are committed to developing and implementing a comprehensive and integrated security plan to ensure the safety and security of this event and its participants,” said Eric Ranaghan, special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Dignitary Protective Division.
The congressional committee that probed the 2021 assault on the Capitol had recommended the designation for future vote counts.
“Until January 6th, 2021, the joint session of Congress for counting electoral votes was not understood to pose the same types of security risks as other major events on Capitol Hill,” the committee said in its final report. “Given what occurred in 2021, Congress and the Executive Branch should work together to designate the joint session of Congress occurring on January 6th as a National Special Security Event.”
The Secret Service said the mayor of Washington also requested the designation.
Electoral votes are counted by Congress on Jan. 6 of the year after a presidential election. That count is what officially certifies the winner.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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