RECAPPING: @POTUS Thursday issued a series of tweets urging voters to mail-in their ballots & then go to their polling places "to see whether or not your Mail In Vote has been Tabulated (Counted)"
.@TwitterSafety explained its aim was "to prevent people from sharing advice about voting twice, which may be illegal"
It also explained "laws regarding the invalidation of mail-in ballots when individuals choose to vote in person are complex &vary significantly by state"
2/13
So what does happen? We reached out to officials helping coordinate #Election2020 security for the states, who agreed that in many states, polling places should have a record of whether a mail-in ballot was requested & whether it had been returned
3/13
The @NCSLorg call this "processing" - which is different from opening the ballot and recording or tabulating the vote
Exact procedures for "processing" absentee/mail-in ballots differ from state to state
In many states, "when a voter requests an absentee ballot, that is noted in their voter record & that data point is provided to precincts in #pollbooks" per one of the officials helping coordinate #Election2020 security for the states
If a voter's absentee/mail-in ballot has already been processed, "that would be noted in the pollbook and that voter would not be permitted to vote a second time" per the official, though a voter could be issued a provisional ballot if they insist
7/13
If a voter shows up at a polling place having requested a mail-in ballot thats not been processed, it also would be noted, per the official
That voter would be asked to turn in the mail-in ballot, sign an affidavit voiding the mail-in ballot or cast a provisional ballot
8/13
This appears to be in line with what @PressSec said earlier:
.@PressSec also told reporters regarding @POTUS' comments & tweets, "The president has laid it out very clearly. You should verify your vote"
10/13
However, while @POTUS' tweets direct voters to go to their polling places during early voting/on election day to verify their ballots were received, a 2nd official involved in helping states w/election security says voters may have other options, as well
11/13
Tracking mail delivery is one option. In some states voters can also make sure make sure a mail-in ballot was processed by "making an inquiry by phone or online through their local election office to ensure the ballot has been delivered or returned" per the 2nd official
12/13
So can someone vote twice by using mail-in ballot & then going to vote in person?
"It is important to note, election officials keep meticulous records to ensure no voter casts a ballot twice" per the 2nd official
13/13
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HAPPENING NOW - US intelligence chiefs testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee:
@ODNIgov Dir Avril Haines
@CIA Dir William Burns
@FBI Dir Christoper Wray
@NSAGov Dir Gen Timothy Haugh
@DefenseIntel Dir LtGen Jeffrey Krause
@StateDept Asst Sec for Intel Brett Holmgren
Noting that the current era is as challenging as ever, with a wide variety of threats, Senate Intelligence Committee Chair @MarkWarner calls for "redefining what we think of" when it comes to national security
@MarkWarner "We are no even seeing the possibility of foreign adversaries weaponizing space" in ways that could be detrimental to US way of life, per @MarkWarner
NEW: @FBI joins White House, Senate intelligence committee chair in sounding alarm about foreign interference in #Election2024
"This election cycle, the US will face more adversaries, moving at a faster pace & enabled by new technology
per Dir Christopher Wray at @INSAlliance
#ArtificialIntelligence advances "lowering the barrier to entry-making it easier for both more & less-sophisticated foreign adversaries to engage in malign influence" per @FBI's Wray
"Making foreign influence efforts by players old and&new more realistic & difficult to detect"
@FBI Where are US adversaries focused?
“The attack surface for the bad guys is the private sector” per @FBI's Wray "The intelligence that we need is in the hands of the private sector, often”
NEW: US worried about #Russia seeking to interfere in #Election2024
"Of course there are concerns" White House Nat'l Security Adviser @JakeSullivan46 tells @MeetThePress
"There's plenty of reason to be concerned" per @JakeSullivan46
"There is a history here in presidential elections by the #Russia|n Federation, by its intelligence services" he says
"We are going to be vigilant"
Concerns about #Russia|n interference in #Election2024 "not about politics" per @JakeSullivan46
"This is about national security. It is about a foreign country, a foreign adversary seeking to manipulate the politics & democracy of the United States of America."
NEW: US confirms #Houthis using "various #Iran|ian-origin missiles & unmanned aerial vehicles" in their attacks on shipping in the #RedSea #GulfofAden
Conclusion based on new analysis by @DefenseIntel
The assessment is based on information current as January 2024 - including a "comparative analysis of publicly available images of #Iran|ian missiles & UAVs to those displayed & employed by #Houthi forces in #Yemen to attack commercial shipping" per @DefenseIntel
US @DefenseIntel on #Iran|ian drones in #Houthi arsenal:
-Sayad (Sammad) - range of 1800km
-Shahed-136 - range of 2500km
-Waid-1 (version of the Shahed-131) - range of 900km
AQ "established up to 8 new training camps in Afghanistan, including four in #Ghazni, #Laghman, #Parwan & #Uruzgan Provinces w/a new base to stockpile weaponry in the #Panjshir Valley" per new @UN report
The new #alQaida camps appear to be "conducting suicide bomber training for TTP [Tehrik-i-Taliban #Pakistan]" per the @UN report
Intelligence provided by @UN member states also notes #alQaida is operating madrasas in #Laghman, #Kunar, #Nangarhar, #Nuristan & #Parwan provinces
AQ also "maintains safe houses to facilitate the movement between #Afghanistan & the Islamic Republic of #Iran"
NEW: @usairforce disciplines 15 Air National Guard members as a result of the so-called Discord intel leak this past April
Inspector General report cited lax inspections, lack of guidance & lack of supervision as contributing factors in the leaks by 21-year-old Jack Teixeira
"The IG investigation found individuals in Teixeira’s unit failed to take proper action after becoming aware of his intelligence-seeking activities..." per @usairforce statement
"...However, the investigation did not find evidence that members of Teixeira’s supervisory chain were aware of his alleged unauthorized disclosures" per @usairforce