Voters cast their ballots in the midterm elections Tuesday morning at the Brooklyn Museum in New York. Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
As Americans cast ballots in Tuesday's midterm elections, an election security expert says he's more concerned about what happens after polls close than about disruptions during voting.
David Becker, a former Justice Department voting rights lawyer and founder of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation and Research, told Morning Edition that nearly 60 million Americans have already voted with hardly any problems.
His comments come as voting rights and immigrant advocacy groups prepare for the possibility of federal agents near polling places, despite assurances from the Trump administration that it has no plans to deploy them. In Arizona, one organization has trained more than 100 community members to monitor potential irregularities outside voting sites.
Becker pointed to a federal law, 18 U.S.C. 592, that restricts certain deployments of armed personnel near polling places. Violations can carry penalties of up to five years in prison and disqualification from federal office. He said courts would intervene if immigration agents or troops were unlawfully deployed.
But he cautioned against overreaction in the news media and speculation online. Images of officers near polling places, stripped of context, could spread unnecessary alarm and discourage voters from casting their ballots.
Election officials have prepared for more routine disruptions, including traffic jams and bad weather. Most voters are unlikely to face long waits, according to Becker.
"I think we expect to hear statements from losing candidates and losing parties that the election was rigged when we know, of course, that our elections are secure and verified," Becker said.
During his conversation with NPR's Steve Inskeep, Becker discussed what voters might encounter on Election Day and why he's more concerned about what comes next.
The digital version was edited by Treye Green.
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