NORFOLK, Va. — Voters are getting ready to make their voices heard for the 2022 midterm elections.
"This is my second time voting in person, ever," said Ryan McAlister from Norfolk.
Victoria Kelling from Chesapeake said she's going to the poll with her dad as a tradition. She said she can't imagine anything getting in her way of casting her ballot.
"I don't think anything would get in my way, even if my car runs out of gas, if it breaks down, or I get sick," said Kelling. "Every vote counts."
Voters like Kelling are also making sure they are aware of their surroundings when at the polls. According to Irene Shin with the Virginia Civic Engagement Table, voter intimidation tactics began to rise in 2020.
"There was a huge uptick in trends for this kind of intimidating or aggressive behavior," said Shin. "I think we saw it certainly a huge uptick in 2020, for obvious reasons, and we also saw it in 2021 in state elections, and we anticipate it this year, as well."
Shin also helps lead the "Election Protection" coalition. She said this program has a low tolerance for voter intimidation, which can cause a lot of damage at the polls.
"On the surface level, you're thinking it's annoying, like this is unnecessary," said Shin. "But on a deeper level, it's so much more insidious and has a chilling effect on voter participation. If there is anything standing in the way that makes someone say, 'I don't want to deal with that, I'm not going in to vote'...that's voter disenfranchisement."
She said her monitors will be stationed at polling locations to be your second set of eyes when walking in to vote. Shin said those monitors are also there to help guide you as a voter if you have any questions, especially with new laws this year taking effect.
However, Shin said you shouldn't rely just on poll monitors. She said it's best to stay aware and think quickly when you see aggressive behavior.
"If you're seeing it or you're encountering it yourself, my advice is to always go into the polling place and notify the chief election officer who is in charge of that polling site," Shin explained. "They will use their discretion to make sure that person is removed or they will call law enforcement. We want to make sure every voter in Virginia can cast their ballot."
Shin said election office leaders understand a law enforcement presence can also be intimidating, so they try to take every avenue to de-escalate the situation before calling authorities.
Election office leaders are not the only ones keeping an eye on voter behavior. Agents with the Norfolk FBI office said they are also monitoring situations.
A spokesperson with the office sent the following statement to 13News Now:
"The FBI works closely with our federal, state, and local partners to identify and stop any potential threats to public safety. We gather and analyze intelligence to determine whether individuals might be motivated to take violent action for any reason, including due to concerns about the election.
It is vital that the FBI, our law enforcement partners, and the public work together to protect our communities as Americans exercise their right to vote.
We encourage members of the public to remain vigilant and immediately report any suspicious activity to law enforcement. The public can also submit tips to tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI."
Persistent behavior of disrupting or intimidating voters at the polls is a Class 1 misdemeanor, which could lead to time in jail.