Berkeley Police Prepare For Potential Election Unrest

BERKELEY, CA — The Berkeley Police Department is preparing for potential unrest on election day and the days following by increasing staffing and coordinating with other local officials.

"We will likely have some additional officers on overtime," said Berkeley police spokesman Byron White. "At this point, I am uncertain where they may be deployed. We may have (added officers on Election Day) in the past, but it is not something we regularly do."

Other Bay Area cities, including San Francisco and San Jose, are taking similar precautions.

Berkeley police sent out a reminder on social media and the city's website about the California Elections Code. It points out voter intimidation is a felony, as is bringing a firearm to the "immediate vicinity" of a polling place — including uniformed peace officers, private guards and other security personnel — without written authorization of the appropriate city or county elections office.

"Electioneering" within 100 feet of a polling place is also prohibited on Election Day. That means no signs, initiative circulation, vote soliciting or speaking to voters about their qualifications to vote. Also, removing, tearing, marking, defacing or destroying supplies at a polling place is prohibited.

— Patch editor Bea Karnes and Bay City News contributed to this story