‘You’re not going to be bullied’: Broward sheriff declares zero tolerance for election intimidation

Despite the ultra-heated political atmosphere surrounding the 2024 elections, Sheriff Gregory Tony has declared that voter intimidation won’t be tolerated at polling sites in Broward County.

“The message you need to hear is this: If you vote by mail, if you go into the traditional settings, it will be safe and secure. And you’re not going to be bullied by anyone,” Tony said.

The sheriff’s comments came in response to several questions Tuesday evening he received at the Pembroke Pines Democratic Club. Some club members, many of whom volunteer for candidates at polling places, told him they were concerned about what might await at polling places during early voting this fall and on Election Day, Nov. 5.

They cited experiences that made them feel uneasy, or unsafe, when they worked at the polls in recent elections.

Tony said he was familiar with their concerns.

“That’s something I witnessed (in) the last election. There was a lot of gamesmanship. People feeling threatened. And the whole focal point behind that was to avoid us coming out, two party strong, and getting high numbers,” he said. “I’m invested in making sure I secure your democracy so that you don’t feel intimidated to go out and vote.”

At one point, Tony was asked if his office was ready for “civil unrest,” a question he said has “come up repeatedly.”

Tony said he’s worked with Broward Supervisor of Elections Joe Scott “to make sure we have adequate security provided. … In terms of civil unrest, we’ve built up something on a multi-agency task force with all our riot control officers to make sure that we’re ready.”

Another Democratic activist said she encountered people she felt were threatening and aggressive in a previous recent election.

Tony’s response: “I’ll  reiterate that every single one of you (should) feel free to go out and exercise the rights that are afforded in the United States Constitution.”

Tony is a candidate in the Aug. 20 Democratic primary, the winner of which will face only nominal opposition from an independent candidate in November. When he was a candidate in 2020, he said he saw too much over-the-line behavior at the polls.

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“I witnessed it way too much in 2020. And I said, well, wait a minute, I got people calling me — friends, family just like you do — who are saying, ‘Hey, I had your shirt on Sheriff and they’re screaming and threatening.’ That’s uncalled for. Part of the whole process of democracy is for us to disagree.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re gonna vote for me or you’re gonna vote for somebody else. The actual thing that’s important is that you have access to vote. So please do not feel intimidated.

“If they cross the line, they’re producing threatening behavior, we’ll take them to jail, take them off the streets,” Tony said.

In response to one Democrat’s question about a boisterous presence by people supporting other candidates, Tony said law enforcement has to strike “a very delicate balance.”

“Remember, there’s two sides to the coin, right. They have the right to scream all their nonsense. … Freedom of speech, whether it’s loud or muted, they get to say what they want. But when they impose threatening behavior like this young lady was explaining (pointing to a previous questioner) that’s when we step in. That’s where we start to have authority,” the sheriff said. “You have to have free access without intimidation, without being threatened with violence.”

Anthony Man can be reached at aman@sunsentinel.com and can be found @browardpolitics on Bluesky, Threads, Facebook and Mastodon.