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Comment by lbotos | Hacker News Reader

there was an election in NYC recently, and police were at the locations where folks cast ballots.

> police were at the locations where folks cast ballots

Is that normal? That seems massively inappropriate to me.

Yes it is normal. They are there to enforce the regulations around no campaigning within a certain distance, and other voting related laws. Plenty of crazies showing up insisting on inspecting ballots and stuff, and poll workers delegate dealing with this to cops.

Yeah, I think it's fairly normal to have an officer outside of or at the entrance to a polling location. They're not actually in the room with poll watchers, etc., and certainly nowhere near the private voting booths.

It has never felt inappropriate to me – maybe because I typically vote at a public school, where it's normal to see a crossing guard or public safety officer outside.

Seeing cops in public schools is also weird to people outside the US.

Also metal detectors at schools. Very weird and unimaginable in Europe

It's not normal. In fact there was a police officer from Florida if I recall correctly who was reprimanded for voting in their uniform. It's considered potential voter intimidation to have a police officer standing around at a polling place.

Oh man! Wait till you go to Penn station and see military/police (the line is blurry) on patrol:

https://i.redd.it/v1qol3qqfoq41.jpg

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-jtf-empire-shield-members-...

My understanding re: polling is for "election security" which... was a big deal nationally for better or worse.

Having some security at a polling place feels extremely appropriate. Any private security would run the risk of being partisan. The military would run the risk of having the ruling party order the military to do intimidation. Local police are the right choice.

But aren't police unions partisan in the US? Is a police officer standing outside a polling station representing their union's politics? Must feel so to some people.

They're standing there as the institution, not their personal opinions or unions. I think it's pretty benign.

Maybe, but at some point, every single human is partisan. Police officers aren't affiliated with a party, officially, so they are at least semi-neutral. And since local police live in the same community, they're incentivized to be civil to their neighbors. Who would want the scandal of doing something nefarious in their own town's polls?

Is it not? I think police's duty at polling place is to maintain order, nobody shouts, breaks the line, becomes violent, break things, creates chaos. If sny objection, follows the procedure calmly n within law.

They are most of the time near entrance. They are never near anywhere you cast the votes.

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