Voter Threats, Intimidation, Coercion Won't Be Tolerated In Pasco

PASCO COUNTY, FL — Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco and Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley are reassuring voters that they can expect a safe environment at all early voting locations and Election Day polling places without fear of intimidation, threats or coercion.

The offices have partnered in the past to provide election security and, in joint recognition of the vital role elections play in country, they are once again committed to helping Pasco County voters safely exercise their right to vote.

To date, there have been no threats for the upcoming general election in Pasco County, however, Nocco and Corley are urging voters to remain vigilant for any possible threats or developments that could compromise the security of voting locations.

In accordance with Florida Law, each early voting site and election day polling place has a poll deputy who is deputized by both Corley and Nocco to ensure that order is maintained during the voting process.

If a situation requires law enforcement, the poll deputy notifies the Election Day Command Center, and if needed, a Pasco Sheriff's deputy will be dispatched to the voting location.

Your rights

• It’s illegal to intimidate voters and a federal crime to “intimidate, threaten or coerce any other person for the purpose of interfering with the right of that other person to vote or to vote as he may choose.
• Report intimidation to the Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE or 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (en Español).
• Report intimidation to your local election officials. Their offices will be open on Election Day.

Solicitation Policies

No person, political committee or other group or organization (including members of the press) may solicit voters inside the polling place or within 150 feet of the entrance to any polling place, a polling room where the polling place is also a polling room, an early voting site or an office of the supervisor where vote-by-mail ballots are requested and printed on demand for the convenience of electors who appear in person to request them.

Before the opening of the polling place or early voting site, the clerk or supervisor will designate the no-solicitation zone and mark the boundaries.

Solicitation includes seeking or attempting to seek any vote, fact, opinion or contribution; distributing or attempting to distribute any political or campaign material, leaflet or handout; conducting a poll except as specified in this paragraph; seeking or attempting to seek a signature on any petition; and selling or attempting to sell any item. The terms “solicit” or “solicitation” may not be construed to prohibit exit polling.

The supervisor or the clerk may take any reasonable action necessary to ensure order at the polling places, including, but not limited to, having disruptive and unruly persons removed by law enforcement officers from the polling room or place or from the 150-foot zone surrounding the polling place.

Except the area 150 feet from the entrance, the supervisor may not designate a no-solicitation zone or otherwise restrict access to any person, political committee, candidate or other group or organization for the purposes of soliciting voters beyond the no solicitation zones. This applies to any public or private property used as a polling place or early voting site.

No photography is permitted in the polling room or early voting area, except an elector may photograph his or her own ballot.

Patch is partnering with ProPublica’s Electionland project to report on problems voters encounter at the polls on Nov. 3 and we want to know if you see any shenanigans. Here’s how you can report what you see to Electionland:

• SMS: Text the word VOTE, VOTA (for Spanish) or 投票 (for Chinese) to 81380 (standard text message rates apply).
• WhatsApp: Send the word VOTE, VOTA (for Spanish) or 投票 (for Chinese) to 850-909-8683.
• Facebook Messenger: Go to m.me/electionland

Read more about Electionland here.

See related stories:

• 2020 Election Voter Guide: Pasco Early Voting Begins Oct. 19
• Election 2020: Polls To Have Coronavirus Restrictions In Place
• More than 130,000 Vote-By-Mail Ballots To Be Distributed In Pasco.