US tightens election certification security to avoid repeat of 2021 Capitol attack

Federal officials are strengthening security for the counting and certification of votes at the US Capitol on January 6, 2025, seeking to avoid planning missteps that left law enforcement unprepared for the violence that erupted in 2021.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas designated the forthcoming vote-counting proceedings as a National Special Security Event, a label that comes with increased planning and resources.

It’s the first time the typically routine congressional meeting to certify the quadrennial presidential result has received the special security designation, highlighting early efforts to prepare for any disputes over election tallies as former president Donald Trump and Vice-President Kamala Harris face off at the polls in November.

“National Special Security Events are events of the highest national significance,” Eric Ranaghan, special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Dignitary Protective Division, said in a statement on Wednesday.

  

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