NORFOLK, Va. — With less than a month until election day, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Department of Homeland Security, and other agencies are actively working to make sure the U.S. has a secure election.
It’s a major effort that happens during every election.
Scott Zmudzinski, a supervisory special agent with FBI Norfolk said this time around intelligence agencies are on high alert. Zmudzinski is leading the local effort to investigate election crimes.
“One of the biggest threats that the American public faces are foreign influence. Foreign countries that are trying to influence our election cycles through misinformation and sometimes cyber intrusions,” said Zmudzinski.
According to the FBI, in 2016 and 2018, there were reports of potential voter suppression through social media platforms.
FBI Norfolk is just one of several agencies investigating election crimes and ensuring votes are protected. Intelligence agencies are looking out for voter fraud, voter suppression, and foreign interference.
“The reason we’re on more heightened alert is because we’re in a post 9/11 world, and the bureau has evolved to be much more proactive to ensure that any information that we receive is communicated across our partnerships so that we can get ahead of that threat and address any violations of law in a timely fashion,” said Zmudzinski.
Zmudzinski said FBI Norfolk started preparing for the upcoming election more than a year in advance.
“The American public has a right to know that there are systems in place to make sure that the election will be fair. The message is: have confidence in the system that’s in place,” said Zmudzinski.
Any suspected election crimes can be reported to FBI Norfolk by contacting the FBI Norfolk Field Office at (757) 455-0100 or submitting a tip at tips.fbi.gov.
Reports can remain anonymous.