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The upcoming United States elections pose significant operational risks, necessitating proactive measures for organizations to mitigate potential impacts and ensure resilience.

The upcoming 2024 presidential election has the potential to introduce a variety of uncommon yet severe and significant challenges. These include potential issues such as voter manipulation and physical violence, which have prompted authorities to take proactive steps in preparation. Beyond ensuring the security of local polling stations, there are concerns about the intimidation of election officials and workers and the vulnerability of election systems to cyber-attacks.

Divisive political and social topics are poised to intensify the already heightened partisan tensions and global conflicts influencing the political landscape. Given these complexities, experts stress the importance of organizations undertaking continuous monitoring and robust measures to safeguard their operations and maintain safety throughout the electoral period.

The atmosphere surrounding the 2024 US elections is tense and polarized, increasing the likelihood of political violence. Election-related locations are particularly vulnerable to becoming epicenters of major turmoil. This encompasses physical violence, public and private operations disruptions, and possible cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure.

This year, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, will host the Republican National Convention from July 15-18, 2024, and Chicago, Illinois, will host the Democratic National Convention from August 19-22, 2024.

These two areas will have high levels of traffic congestion, significant federal, state, and local security and emergency response resources, a notable presence of media, and the potential for large protests, demonstrations, and other political activities. Other election-related places that could be at risk include debate venues, polling stations, government facilities, public meetings, ballot drop box locations, and private-sector vendor sites that support elections.

Key Events & Dates

Republican National Convention Milwaukee, WI               July 15-18, 2024

Democratic National Convention Chicago, IL                     August 19-22, 2024

Second Presidential Debate TBD                                            September 10, 2024

Election Day Nationwide                                                           November 5, 2024

State Electors Vote Nationwide                                                December 17, 2024

Deadline to Receive Elector Votes Washington DC            December 25, 2024

Congress Counts Electoral Votes Washington DC              January 6, 2025

Inauguration Day Washington DC                                          January 20, 2025

Key Areas of Risk

Civil Unrest & Social Tensions

Over the next six to nine months, organizations should anticipate an escalation in political activism, protests, and demonstrations associated with the upcoming US elections.

  • This rise in civil unrest and social tensions poses significant risks, including threats to employee safety, disruptions to business operations, and potential damage to physical assets and data.
  • While political violence is not a new threat, the heightened intensity during this election period can amplify these risks, necessitating proactive measures to safeguard personnel and infrastructure.

Cybersecurity

Threats are expected to rise during the 2024 election cycle, with increased risks of cyber-attacks, ransomware, and phishing campaigns exploiting election-related themes to deceive employees and gain unauthorized access.

  • Additionally, generative AI tools are anticipated to provide domestic and foreign threat actors with greater opportunities to interfere by amplifying emerging events, disrupting election processes, and targeting election infrastructure, thereby influencing and creating discord in the upcoming U.S. elections.

Reputation

The spread of misinformation and disinformation is damaging public trust and creating unpredictability in politics, the economy, healthcare, public safety, and the business environment.

  • This risks reputational damage to organizations or individuals caught in political crossfire.
  • The use of artificial intelligence applications and other technologies increases this risk over the long term, as they can create fake videos, images, voice recordings, documents, and other materials to sow distrust and spread false narratives among the public, organizations, and government entities.

Economic Uncertainty

Economic uncertainty, driven by factors like inflation, wage concerns, and recession fears, is a significant influence on voter behavior during the 2024 election.

  • This volatility affects market stability, investments, and consumer spending. Political instability may result in policy changes affecting regulations, taxes, and international trade, disrupting financial planning and global supply chains.
  • After the election, new policies and economic assessments will continue to affect consumer confidence, business operations, data privacy, and labor laws.

Infrastructure

Foreign and domestic actors continuously work to develop the means and resources to disrupt critical infrastructure within the US, thereby impacting social stability, economic performance, political processes, and public safety.

  • This includes cyber or physical attacks on electrical, water, healthcare, finance, ports, and other infrastructure to destroy, disrupt, or delay.
  • For example, nefarious actors may seek to disrupt election day by influencing traffic control systems to create gridlock in major metroplexes or key counties or create utility outages by sabotaging electrical substations.

Recommendations to Mitigate Disruption & Build Resiliency

The upcoming elections in the United States introduce a diverse range of threats and risks for organizations. To effectively navigate these challenges, organizations should assess their current resilience capabilities and resources.

Consider the following actions to help mitigate risks, strengthen resilience, and facilitate a seamless transition through the election period.

Enhance Cybersecurity Measures

  • Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability assessments.
  • Implement robust phishing and ransomware defenses.
  • Educate employees about election-related cyber threats and safe practices.

Monitor Political Developments

  • Stay informed about election developments and potential policy changes.
  • Engage with industry associations and lobby groups to understand potential impacts.

Prepare for Civil Unrest

  • Develop contingency plans for potential disruptions, including remote work arrangements.
  • Coordinate with local authorities and security agencies to ensure employee safety.

Counter Misinformation

  • Establish a crisis communication plan to address potential disinformation campaigns.
  • Monitor social media and online platforms for misinformation affecting the company. 

Review Regulatory Compliance

  • Stay updated on potential regulatory changes and assess their impact on business operations.
  • Engage with legal and compliance experts to ensure adherence to new regulations.

Financial Planning

  • Diversify investments to mitigate risks associated with market volatility.
  • Maintain flexibility in business operations and financial planning to adapt to changing conditions.

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About Bray Wheeler

Bray brings over a decade of experience in intelligence, crisis and reputation management, global risk, security operations, and public-private partnerships with Fortune 100 companies to his role as a Senior Consultant with Bryghtpath.

Prior to joining Bryghtpath, Bray spent fourteen years at Target Corporation where he worked in progressively responsible positions in assets protection, corporate security, crisis management, intelligence, and enterprise risk management. Bray spent the last two years leading the development of Target’s enterprise response management program.

In 2014, Bray led the private sector intelligence team, as a part of a broader public-private security partnership in support of the 2014 Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Minneapolis. In this capacity, Bray worked with public and private sector partners to develop security support strategies and provide actionable intelligence to both corporate security teams and local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.

Bray is a member of the Association of International Risk Intelligence Professionals and the Midwest Regional Analysts Roundtable.

Learn more about Bray in his biography