Certification of US elections after 2021 attack under tighter security measures

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. government will increase security for Congress's certification of the Nov. 5 election results, scheduled for Jan. 6, to prevent a repeat of the 2021 attack on the Capitol by supporters of Republican former President Donald Trump.

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT

The US Department of Homeland Security has described the certification of the election by Congress as a “national special security event,” the Secret Service said in a statement on Wednesday. Republican presidential candidate Trump is running against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. Polls suggest it will be a close race.

This provision allows federal, state, and local resources to be allocated to the security operation and makes the Secret Service responsible for the security plan.

The Secret Service said the designation was recommended in reports from a congressional and oversight agency investigation into the 2021 attacks on the Capitol.

CONTEXT

Trump lost the 2020 election to Democratic President Joe Biden but falsely claimed victory. For weeks after his defeat, he urged Congress not to certify the election results.

His supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, in an unsuccessful attempt to stop Congress from certifying Biden's victory. Trump's alleged role was investigated by a congressional committee and he was impeached for allegedly attempting to illegally overturn his 2020 election defeat.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)