* Federal Bureau of Investigation…

In the United States, elections are administered at the state and local levels of government, which has resulted in a diverse landscape of election systems and technologies across the country. Throughout the election cycle, many people are involved in administering or carrying out responsibilities that support elections, including election workers, officials from other divisions of government, vendors, contractors, temporary workers, and volunteers. Understanding what constitutes insider status and how insiders can present risks to an organization are important components of developing a comprehensive insider threat mitigation program.

An insider threat can be an individual or group who uses their authorized access or special knowledge to cause harm to an organization or entity. This harm can include malicious acts that impact the security and integrity of election systems and information. Insider threats could manifest as current or former employees, temporary workers, volunteers, contractors, or any other individuals with privileged access to election systems and information. This could include individuals who work outside of the immediate election office in roles that support or interact with infrastructure that the election office relies upon.

* ABC Chicago…

At a west suburban Geneva country club in September, “Captain K” took the mic.

“What I do well is I promote the gospel that the 2020 election was stolen,” said former Army Captain Seth Keshel, who goes by Captain K. […]

“If you want to fix elections, you can start right here in Kane County,” Keshel said. “We got plenty of influencers. We don’t have enough middle managers and we definitely don’t have enough infantrymen.”

Keshel declined the I-Team’s request for an interview but said in an email that, “poll watchers are needed to prevent fraudulent practices at polling locations,” and that he has never “suggested the use of violence in dealing with the problems related to our elections.” […]

Even in non-battleground counties and states, the “insider threat” is on the minds of Kane County Clerk John Cunningham and other local election officials.

“We’re worried about Election Day,” Cunningham said. “They tried the last election, they sent a lot of their group, one of the groups, sending a lot of poll watchers. Now they’re trying to become judges. So we got to watch for that.”

* Yesterday in Will County…

He was a pollwatcher for the Will County Republican Party, according to Jack Londrigan, who took the photo.

What I was able to find out about the patches:

- The owner of the jacket is likely a member of the Fugarwe Tribe Motorcycle Club (FTMC)

- The US Department of Justice classified the Fugarwe Tribe as an Outlaw Motorcycle Gang (not to be confused with the Outlaw motorcycle club) in 1991. Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs are organizations whose members use their motorcycle clubs as conduits for criminal enterprises.

- Blackstone: Blackstone, IL is the location of Fugarwe‘s Illinois Chapter.

-F.F.F.F.: Fugarwe forever, Forever Fugarwe.

- You can see the patch that puts the F’s in a swastika/iron cross formation.

* Meanwhile, WAND…

The Illinois State Board of Elections monitors social media for misinformation well before Election Day. There are multiple ways the state can counter false information to ensure voters have a safe and secure election process.

Early voting expanded for suburban Cook County and the city of Chicago last week, but that also led to an increase in misinformation. State leaders saw a post on X, formerly Twitter, noting a suburban polling place was destroying ballots and tricking voters.

“There’s no truth whatsoever to it,” said Illinois State Board of Elections spokesperson Matt Dietrich. “What had happened in this early voting site in Schaumburg was they had a problem with one of the tabulators. These things happen in every election. Those tabulators are very sensitive pieces of equipment.” […]

The Illinois State Board of Elections has a full time employee that works in the State Police Terrorism and Intelligence Center in Springfield. Dietrich told WAND News this employee monitors social media looking for key words pertaining to elections across the state.

“When they see these things, they alert us, we alert our digital media director, and we can counteract those posts with our own posts,” Dietrich said.

* KWQC…

Rock Island County Clerk Karen Kinney said an early voter claimed a machine in her office altered votes and posted the machine’s serial number, which led to others making the same claim.

“We did change up the machine, the one that received the first complaint, just in case there was some validity to the complaint,” Kinney said. […]

The person who posted the claims also said Kinney replied that it “happens from time to time.“

“That the machine jumps — yes — if you use your finger and not the stylus. It happens from time to time that the machine may jump, but somebody cut off what I said,” Kinney said. “I did say that; I admit to that, but I also said, following that comment, I said, ‘you have every chance to correct it.’”

Voters have seven opportunities to check their ballots before submission, she said.

* Shaw Local…

The DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office will deploy teams of assistant state’s attorneys and Investigators to respond to reports of any suspected irregularities that may arise at DuPage County polling locations on Election Day.

Prosecutors and investigators will be available at the state’s attorney’s office and at the polls from 6 a.m. through 7 p.m. Nov. 5 to respond to suspected violations of the Illinois Election Code.

State’s attorney office staff will also maintain communications throughout the day with officials at the DuPage County Clerk’s Office. This coordinated effort will help enforce compliance with the Election Code while ensuring that every voter properly qualified is able to cast their ballot.

“As we have done in every election since I became state’s attorney, my office will again deploy teams of assistant state’s attorneys and Investigators throughout DuPage County to canvass polling places and to respond to suspected violations of the Election Code,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in a news release. “In addition to my staff, local law enforcement officers as well as sheriff’s deputies will blanket polling places throughout our county.

* More…

* WAND | Central Illinoisans cast their votes ahead of election day: Statewide, over 1,400,000 votes have already been cast for the 2024 general election, and nearly 800,000 of those ballots were submitted by early voters in person.

* WMBD | Voters are going to the polls in even higher numbers a week out from election day: Some voters in Tazewell County say they went out and voted early to beat the lines. “I wanted to avoid any crowd on Election Day,” said Mark Allen, a Tazewell County resident. “Very easy, two or three minute delay in line, and the process didn’t take much time once I got to the room where you cast your ballot.”

* IPM News | Champaign County Clerk discusses efforts to prevent voter intimidation: Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz said she will pursue charges against those who break election law or threaten the safety of voters and election staff. “We want people to come into the polling place in that 100-feet zone and be able to exercise their right to vote freely and fairly, without restriction and without drama, without issue from other voters,” she added.