Swatting Prevention and Response Guidance for Election Workers and Law Enforcement

Swatting is a term used to describe criminal activity by an individual or group who knowingly provides false information to law enforcement suggesting that a serious threat exists at a particular location so that law enforcement responds with tactical units, or what’s commonly known as a SWAT team.

This dangerous tactic places the targeted individual or location and law enforcement at risk and pulls critical first responder resources away from actual emergencies. In late 2023 and early 2024, there were multiple swatting incidents specifically targeting election workers.