Congress to get enhanced security for Jan. 6, 2025, electoral vote count
The Department of Homeland Security designated the Jan. 6, 2025, vote count as a national special security event, putting it on par with Inauguration Day and the State of the Union.
The counting and certification of electoral votes at the Capitol in January — the first since the Jan. 6 riot in 2021 — will come with significantly increased security, the Secret Service said Wednesday.
The Department of Homeland Security has designated the Jan. 6 count as a national special security event, affording it a level of security similar to events like the State of the Union address and the Super Bowl. The Secret Service will oversee planning.
The designation, a first for the certification of electoral votes, is an effort to avoid a repeat of the chaos nearly four years ago when a mob of President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol to disrupt that year's count affirming Joe Biden's victory.
“National Special Security Events are events of the highest national significance,” Eric Ranaghan, the special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Dignitary Protective Division, said in a statement Wednesday. “The U.S. Secret Service, in collaboration with our federal, state, and local partners are committed to developing and implementing a comprehensive and integrated security plan to ensure the safety and security of this event and its participants.”
The designation has typically been reserved for special events like the Republican and Democratic national conventions, the United Nations General Assembly and presidential inaugurations.
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