This nonpartisan election preparation framework is for law enforcement and public safety agencies, with planning actions before, during, and after Election Day. It sets out actions in four areas (setting expectations, community outreach, safety, and communications) before, during, and after Election Day. It draws on practice, research, and data on threats to election processes. Experienced leaders in government, law enforcement, and public policy reviewed it and contributed to it.
Read the full framework here: Election Preparation Framework
Additional election preparation resources
CJI also contributed to the below resources with the Voter Protection Program, Georgetown Law’s Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, and 21CP Solutions.
- Protecting Public Infrastructure During Protests or Violent Demonstrations
- What Police Need to Know at the Polls
- Preparing for Election Day and Post-Election Demonstrations
- Managing Driver Activity Around Elections
- What Police Need to Know About Protecting the Count
- Guidance for Law Enforcement About First Amendment Rights
Why CJI and ICAP created the framework
CJI partnered with the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection to develop the framework in the context of the November 3, 2020 election. Increased mail-in voting made it likely that results would not be clear on election night and might take days or weeks. That uncertainty, together with heightened polarization across the political spectrum, made protests, demonstrations, and violence involving militia groups in the post-election period more likely than usual. The election also followed a summer of significant demonstration and protest movements around the country. Public safety officials who managed responses to demonstrations described some protester actions as “different, more choreographed, and more sophisticated.”
Last updated: October 9, 2026