FBI arrests Afghan man who officials say planned Election Day attack in the US

THE DEBATES, TO THE CANVASING CALLS, THE PUSH TO NOVEMBER 5TH IS IN FULL SWING. BUT WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THAT? AFTER THE POLLS CLOSE, WE ASKED, BECAUSE THE LAST PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION BROUGHT US JANUARY SIXTH, THE VIOLENT AND DEADLY INSURRECTION AT THE HEART OF OUR NATION’S DEMOCRACY. AND THAT WAS DESPITE REPEATED ASSERTIONS BY THOSE CHARGED WITH OVERSEEING THE ELECTION THAT THE VOTE WAS ACCURATE. KATHY BOOCKVAR WAS SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA IN 2020. SHE’S NOW PRESIDENT OF ATHENA STRATEGIES AND WORKS WITH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TO STRENGTHEN ELECTION SECURITY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING ME IN STUDIO. THANKS SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME ON. SO LET’S START WITH THAT. NEXT MOMENT. THE POLLS CLOSE. WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS, WHAT MOST PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE IS THAT OUR ELECTIONS IN THIS COUNTRY ARE COMPLETELY DECENTRALIZED. SO PEOPLE THINK OF THIS NATIONAL ONE NATIONAL ELECTION. BUT THE REALITY IS WE HAVE OVER 9000 ELECTION JURISDICTIONS IN THIS COUNTRY. ELECTIONS ARE RUN AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. SO HOW IT HAPPENS AFTER THE VOTES ARE CAST VARIES A LITTLE BIT. BUT WHAT’S UNIFORM IS THAT THERE ARE BIPARTISAN OFFICIALS AND VOLUNTEERS AND OBSERVERS WHO ARE WATCHING THE PROCESS, AND THERE ARE LAYERS OF SECURITY AND INTEGRITY BUILT INTO EVERY STEP OF IT. WE YEARN, AMERICANS YEARN FOR THAT ANSWER. ON ELECTION NIGHT. IT’S ALMOST LIKE POLLS CLOSE AND WE NEED TO KNOW. YEAH, BUT THE TRUTH IS, MOST STATES DO NOT CERTIFY THEIR ELECTIONS FOR A GOOD THREE WEEKS AFTER ELECTION DAY. THAT’S BECAUSE WE’VE GOT ALL THESE LAYERS OF SECURITY AND INTEGRITY IN THE PROCESS. DO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CERTIFYING THE ELECTION, HOW MUCH LEEWAY IS THERE? SO CERTIFICATION IS GENERALLY CONSIDERED A MINISTERIAL NON-DISCRETIONARY ROLE WE’VE HAD IN THE RECENT PAST, YOU KNOW, A VICE PRESIDENT WHO WAS PRESSURED TO NOT CERTIFY THE RESULTS. AND WE ALL KNOW HUMAN BEINGS CAN BE PRESSURED TO DO CERTAIN THINGS. AND I THINK THAT’S WHERE THE PUBLIC SORT OF FEELS LIKE, WELL, ISN’T ISN’T THAT RISKY? THERE ARE A LOT OF GUARDRAILS. SO THAT’S IMPORTANT TO NOTE. THE REALITY IS WE WILL SEE SOME OF THAT IN NOVEMBER. THERE WILL BE PEOPLE WHO WILL FEEL THAT PRESSURE TO EITHER DELAY OR REFUSE TO CERTIFY. BUT IN FACT, THE OFFICIALS WHO REFUSE OR UTILIZE DELAY OR CONSPIRE TO REFUSE THOSE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE SUBJECT TO CIVIL OR CRIMINAL OR BOTH. PENALTIES, LIKE SEVERE PENALTIES, CAN WE TALK ABOUT GEORGIA FOR A MOMENT? BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THERE IS A RULE CHANGE THAT COULD, IN FACT, IMPACT CERTIFICATION. WHAT’S THE CHANGE? SO THE CHANGES THAT THEY’RE LOOKING TO DO ARE REALLY POORLY DESIGNED, INFUSING THE ABILITY FOR A LOCAL ELECTION OFFICIAL TO DO UNDESCRIBED INVESTIGATIONS INTO WHATEVER RESULT OF THE ELECTION HAVE HAPPENED. WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE IS GEORGIA HAS ONE OF THE EARLIEST CERTIFICATION DEADLINES IN THE COUNTRY. SO THE COUNTY ELECTION OFFICIALS HAVE TO CERTIFY SIX DAYS AFTER ELECTION DAY, VERY, VERY EARLY. SO THE NEW RULES ARE INTENDED TO INFUSE THIS ABILITY TO, YOU KNOW, INSTILL, I DON’T KNOW, CONSPIRACY THEORIES AND DOUBT ABOUT ANYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED. THEY’RE NOT OPERATING ALONE. RIGHT. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF 2024. IN AMERICA, HONESTLY. RIGHT. SO WE’VE GOT AN UNELECTED BOARD OF ELECTIONS, STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS WHO ARE POLITICAL APPOINTEES, WHO ARE TIED INTO EXTREMIST NATIONAL MOVEMENTS, WHO ARE PURPOSELY TRYING TO INFUSE DOUBT AND DELAY INTO OUR ELECTIONS. SO THEY’RE BEHIND THIS. ALL THE ELECTION OFFICIALS WHO ACTUALLY DO THE WORK AND KNOWS HOW SECURE THIS IS. ALL OPPOSE IT. IT’S JUST THE POLITICAL APPOINTEES TIED TO THE FORMER PRESIDENT WHO ARE PUSHING IT. AS A PERSON WHO’S OBVIOUSLY SPENT A BIG CHUNK OF YOUR CAREER LOOKING AT THE SECURITY OF ELECTIONS, WHAT WORRIES YOU? THE RAMPANT DISINFORMATION THAT’S IN OUR PUBLIC SPHERE, RIGHT. AND THE ANGER AND INTENTIONAL FUELING OF ADVERSITY BETWEEN NEIGHBOR AND NEIGHBOR. I WANT OUR CANDIDATES AND OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO LOWER THE TEMPERATURE. WE ALL CAN HAVE FAITH IN THE IMMENSE AMOUNT OF SECURITY AND INTEGRITY THAT GOES INTO OUR ELECTIONS. AND WE NEED TO TRUST THAT EVEN IF IN NOVEMBER, A RESULT HAPPENS THAT WE DON’T LIKE, IT’S THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE. AND THAT’S HOW OUR DEMOCRACY WORKS. KATHY BOOKVAR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOININ