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Countering Hate

Preventing Hateful & Political Election Season Violence

September 19, 2024

As the 2024 general election approaches, having access to comprehensive, reliable resources to prevent hate-fueled violence (HFV), especially hate-fueled and political violence is critical.  This document serves as a central hub of resources designed to empower individuals, communities, and organizations with the knowledge and tools necessary to: 

  1. Understand the threat landscape,
  2. Communicate effectively to reduce violence, 
  3. Prepare for, mitigate, and respond to potential violence, and  
  4. Take action.

Threats.  

The threat landscape is fluid, with new threats emerging as quickly as old ones evolve.  Staying updated on these changes is vital to prevent violence.  To help partners get informed about the threat landscape, Bedrock has highlighted: 

  • risk monitor organizations for you to follow to stay up-to-date; as well as 
  • data and research to inform you about the state of HFV and trends associated with the upcoming election.  

Communications Strategies.  

Unequivocal condemnation of hate and political violence is critical, but there are additional strategies that can ensure impactful and constructive communication.  From framing issues in one-on-one conversations to developing public statements to foster a sense of safety and belonging for all, Bedrock has highlighted: 

  • strategic communicators for you follow to stay up-to-date;
  • practical guides to enhance your communications efforts; 
  • Bedrock’s framework to reduce tensions; and
  • recent condemnations of political violence for you to amplify.

Preparation, Mitigation, & Response.  

Whether you’re administering the election or getting out the vote, preparing for potential political and election-related violence can look different for each of us.  To ensure you’ve taken adequate steps to prepare for, mitigate, and respond to hateful or potential violence, we encourage you to review: 

  • general guides;
  • role-specific resources; and
  • government resources.

Take Action.

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1. Threats

Risk Monitoring

A variety of frameworks are required from a diverse coalition of stakeholders to meaningfully disrupt hate fueled violence (HFV).  Bedrock’s partner organization network consists of six core frameworks to prevent HFV, one of which is risk monitoring.  Practitioners engaged in risk monitoring generally utilize a variety of tools and methodologies to collect and analyze information and data to inform approaches to addressing HFV.  

Examples of this work include online and offline investigative or research-based efforts.  Risk monitoring is distinct from other types of prevention as it seeks to understand, track and expose individuals, groups, and/or movements that engage in HFV activity, generally.  To stay up-to-date with emerging threats, Bedrock encourages you to sign-up for risk monitoring partners’ newsletters, follow them on social media, and RSVP for their events.  

Risk Monitors 

* = Bedrock partner

  • American University – Polarization & Extremism Research & Innovation Lab (PERIL):* Subscribe (see bottom of webpage) 
  • Anti-Defamation League (ADL):*  Subscribe 
  • Bridging Divides Initiative (BDI): Subscribe
  • Common Cause: Subscribe 
  • Global Network on Extremism and Technology (GNET) (GIFCT’s academic research arm):* Subscribe
  • Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE):*  Subscribe 
  • Human Rights First (HRF):* Subscribe (see bottom of webpage)
  • Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD):*  Subscribe
  • Moonshot:*  LinkedIn
  • Polarization Research Lab:*  Subscribe (see middle of webpage)
  • Protect Democracy:*  Subscribe 
  • Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC):*  Subscribe for newsletter, Subscribe for Hatewatch reporting (see middle of webpage)
  • Western States Center: Newsletter 

Data

A variety of organizations produce data on HFV threats, especially political and election-related violence.  Among other things, this data could be helpful to inform preparation activity for potential violence in various regions or even be used as supporting evidence for the prioritization of specific policies or programs to counter prominent threats.  

  • ACLED’s US Crisis Monitor provides in-depth coverage of demonstration and political violence trends across the US in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential elections.  
  • ADL’s Hate, Extremism, Antisemitism, and Terrorism (HEAT) Map tracks incidents of hate, extremism, antisemitism and terrorism across the U.S. (2002 – Present), using an interactive location map. 
  • START’s Profiles of Individual Radicalization in the United States (PIRUS) tracks backgrounds, attributes, and radicalization processes of over 3,500 violent and non-violent extremists in the United States covering 1948-2022.

HFV Research

The HFV landscape is marked by diverse and rapidly evolving threats.  For a foundational understanding of the HFV landscape see:

  • The Year in Hate & Extremism 2023, SPLC 
  • Online Threat Data & Real-World Incidents: A Comparative Analysis, Moonshot 
  • Murder and Extremism in the United States in 2023, ADL 

Recent Examples

In light of the upcoming election, concerns regarding rapidly evolving HFV threats, generally, as well as political and election-related threats, specifically, are increasingly prominent.  This section highlights timely research by Bedrock partner organizations and its broader network on emerging issues.  

General

  • Summer of Hate: White Supremacist Activity from Memorial to Labor Day, ADL (9/9/2024)
  • “Path to 2024” monthly report series provides information on the politicization of the Supreme Court, the urban and rural divide in America, reluctant acceptance of democratic backsliding, decreasing public trust in the credibility of political science research on elections, and election integrity and denialism (Polarization Research Lab)
  • ​​Violence Targeting Local Officials: 2023 Annual Report, ACLED. ACLED also has monthly in-depth reporting on key election-related themes that explain how they may impact violence trends in the US and an interactive map (see: June 2024).
  • Following Trump Verdict, Far-Right Explodes in Rage, Seeks to Undermine Faith in Elections and the Judiciary, GPAHE (5/2024)

Anti-Immigrant

  • Conspiratorial Rhetoric of Migrant “Invasion” Reaches High Levels in 2023, SPLC (6/2024) 
  • Xenophobia and Anti-Immigrant Extremism: From Fringe to Mainstream, HRF (3/2023)

Anti-LGBTQ

  • Pride Month events subject to harassment and violence by anti-LGBTQ+ hate groups globally, GPAHE (6/2024)

Manosphere, Misogyny, Incel

  • Abusing women in politics: How Instagram is failing women and public officials, CCDH (8/2024)
  • Briefing: The Manosphere’s Response to the Attempted Assassination of Former President Donald Trump, Diverting Hate (7/23/2024)

Online Hate, Conspiracies, & Disinformation

  • Common Cause publishes a weekly newsletter with clips and examples of live disinfo, useful for situational awareness of national and state trends of disinformation around democracy issues.  For those interested in signing up, subscribe here.
  • Brazil Case Offers Insight on Predictable Misinformation Post-Trump Shooting, The Digital Democracy Institute of the Americas via Tech Policy Press (7/2024)
  • False and Unverified Claims Proliferate Online Following Trump Assassination Attempt, ISD (7/2024)
  • Trump Assassination Attempt Sparks Antisemitic Conspiracy Theories and Violent, “Revenge” Rhetoric, ADL (7/2024)
  • Following Trump Shooting, Conspiracy Theories and Calls for Retribution and Civil War Soar, GPAHE (7/2024)
  • Conspiracy Theories Continue to Mobilize Extremists to Violence, ISD (6/2024)
  • GAI Music Creation Tool Suno Has Been Weaponized to Promote Hate, ADL (6/2024)
  • Fortnite’s Political Content Encourages Violence and Allows Players to Stage a Capitol Insurrection, GPAHE (5/2024)
  • “Propaganda for Fun:” How Extremists Use GAI to Camouflage Hate, ADL (5/2024)
  • The Election Denial Industry is Ramping Up for 2024, GPAHE (4/2024)

Veterans

  • Extremism in the Ranks and After, START (04/2024)
  • Election Denialists Recruit Veterans and Threaten 2024 Election, HRF (11/2023)

2. Communications Strategies.

By drawing upon the work of strategic communicators, we can amplify and implement best practices to promote discourse that advances a society of safety and belonging for all.  This section highlights strategic communicators, as well as practical guides and recommendations to reduce tensions through effective communications.

Staying Up-To-Date, Strategic Communicators 

Strategic communicators represent a variety of stakeholders engaged in various HFV prevention frameworks.  Practitioners engaged in this work evaluate how to “take the temperature down” or disrupt disinformation through credible messengers.  To stay up-to-date with the work of strategic communicators, Bedrock encourages you to sign-up for their newsletters, follow them on social media, and RSVP for their events.  

Strategic Communicators

* = Bedrock partner

Communications Guides and Best Practices

  • “Harnessing Our Power to End (HOPE) Political Violence” is an initiative for individuals and groups across the US who recognize the dire stakes that political violence and threats create for our country, and who want to work together nonviolently to protect our communities and uphold democracy.  A key to doing so is by making threats and political violence backfire against perpetrators and those who encourage them.  We need to stand up to those who want to silence our voices, who try to deny us our rights, and who aim to bully their way into political influence through intimidation and violence.  Hardy Merriman for the 22nd Century Initiative, the Horizons Project
  • “How To Facilitate Difficult Conversations” identifies six steps for successful conversations and sustained dialogues across differences in responding to crises. Common Ground USA
  • “Building Civil Discourse, Not Civil Discord” identifies seven ideas for leaders on ways to have productive, effective conversations and take action to steer situations toward civil discourse. Spitfire Strategies
  • “Election Integrity Toolkit: Elections 2024” which includes state specific information and messages and materials specifically for faith organizations and messengers; veterans and military families; and groups and leaders communicating with business and industry audiences. (Issue One)
  • “Speaking Out Against Bigoted, Dehumanizing Rhetoric: What We Can Do” is a guide to taking action against violent rhetoric during periods of heightened tension. BDI, Western States Center
  • “Communicating During Contentious Times: Dos and Don’ts to Rise Above the Noise” contains: dos and don’ts for local leaders to avoid inadvertently causing harm during times of uncertainty and political tension; specific insights for countering misinformation; and action steps to defuse risks for violence before, during, and after voting occurs. Over Zero, PEN America
  • “Understanding Conspiracy Theories” provides an overview of how violent conspiratorial extremist beliefs function and recommends best practices for loved ones who believe in them. Life After Hate
  • “Military Veterans in Journalism Information Integrity Project” researches, produces, and promotes media literacy explainers to help inoculate community members against targeted propaganda. Military Veterans in Journalism
  • “Five Steps for Building Trust in an Election Year” includes actions for organizations to build trust and combat mis- and disinformation. Spitfire Strategies
  • “Election Year Framing” addresses topics and communications strategies on various issues during an election year through short videos including: emotions, identifying truth, counteracting disrespect, talking about democracy, social issues, and more. FrameWorks Institute 
  • “Two Tips for Talking about America’s Rigged Systems” suggests ways to avoid provoking a sense of fatalism when discussing “rigged systems” to ensure that messages make people more, not less, inclined to believe that the system can be un-rigged. FrameWorks Institute
  • Bedrock, The Carter Center, Common Ground USA, Interfaith America, and Urban Rural Action’s virtual event “Bridging Divides to Prevent Election Season Violence” with keynotes from current White House official, former Trump official (recording here) 
  • Bedrock, The Carter Center, Common Ground USA, Interfaith America, and Urban Rural Action’s virtual event “Messaging and Narratives to Prevent Election Season Violence” with keynotes from The Asian American Foundation, UnidosUS (recording here)

Bedrock’s Framework.

Implementing evidence-based communications strategies to reduce the normalization of hate and violence is both critical and feasible. Last March Bedrock’s National Leadership Council produced a Joint Statement addressing HFV in America utilizing a framework that draws upon community resilience, peacebuilding, and social cohesion research, the framework’s principles recommend messaging that:

  • Identify shared values across different communities;
    • (Common Ground USA, Multi-Faith Neighbors Network, and American University’s Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL))
  • Normalize disagreement as essential to democracy while illuminating connection among those from different orientations;
    • (Beyond Conflict)
  • Emphasize that there are non-violent paths for grievances;
    • (Over Zero and PEN America)
  • Encourage communities to expose exaggerated stereotypes of non-community populations within their own communities and present relatable depictions of those non-community populations;
    • (Stanford Democracy Challenge)
  • Mitigate non-contextualized exposure to conspiracies in one’s own community by contextualizing violence-animating conspiracies through credible messengers;
    • (Roozenbeek, Van Der Linden, Nygren)
  • Emphasize empathy, fairness, obligation to protect those who need it, and elevate the nobility of the denunciation of violence; and
    • (Alliance for Peacebuilding and Partners Global)
  • Emphasize interdependence and the need to address shared concerns.
    • (Frameworks Institute)

Recent Condemnations of Political Violence.

Statements Condemning the September Apparent Assassination Attempt of Trump 

Prominent Politicians

Bedrock Partners

  • States United Democracy Center: Post on X (9/15/2024)

Statements Condemning Springfield, OH Conspiracy Theories & Violence 

Bedrock Partners

Statements Condemning the July Attempted Assassination of Trump 

General Guidance

Prominent Politicians

Bedrock Partners

3. Preparation, Mitigation, & Response

There is no “silver bullet” to address threats of violence as they manifest.  There are many interventions that need to take place.  

Election Hubs.

  • The Brennan Center for Justice’s Election 2024 resource page.
  • Georgetown Law’s Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection’s (ICAP) Election Hub.

General Guides.

  • Bedrock, The Carter Center, Common Ground USA, Interfaith America, and Urban Rural Action’s virtual event “Intervening and Responding” with keynote from the son of a victim of a white supremacist attack / psychologist / former police officer / interfaith leader (recording here)

Local Governments, Election Officials, & Poll Workers

  • Guidance related to elections and polling places, including state specific information for all 50 states, as well as for local officials in the event that protests might get out of hand (ICAP) 
  • Preventing and Responding to Election Disruption and Violence: Ten Considerations for Cities (Strong Cities Network)
  • “A Guide For City-Led Response” addresses city-led responses to a broader range of threats, attacks, incidents and impacts of hate, polarization and violent extremism (Strong Cities Network)
  • A Guide for Mayors: Preventing and Responding to Hate, Extremism & Polarisation (Strong Cities Network)
  • An election violence prevention toolkit for U.S. Mayors and City Leadership (Over Zero)
  • “Communicating During Contentious Times: Dos and Don’ts to Rise Above the Noise” contains: dos and don’ts for local leaders to avoid inadvertently causing harm during times of uncertainty and political tension. (Over Zero, PEN America)

Community Leaders & Organizations

  • Building a Resiliency Network: A toolkit for building community resilience during a contentious election cycle (Over Zero)
  • A Community Guide for Opposing Hate (Bard)
  • “Election Integrity Toolkit: Elections 2024” which includes state specific information and messages and materials specifically for faith organizations and messengers; veterans and military families; and groups and leaders communicating with business and industry audiences. (Issue One)

Community Members

  • “Election Integrity Toolkit: Elections 2024” which includes state specific information and messages and materials specifically for faith organizations and messengers; veterans and military families; and groups and leaders communicating with business and industry audiences. (Issue One)

The Media & Press

  • The Knight Election Hub provides free or reduced-price resources and services to U.S. newsrooms covering the 2024 elections at the federal, state, and local levels. These resources help publishers serve their audiences by giving them the information they need to make informed voting decisions, have confidence in the election process and results, and understand the role newsrooms play in providing reliable civic information. (The Knight Foundation, Newspack, Hearken, Muckrock, OpenNews)
  • Guidance on Reporting During Contentious Times (Over Zero)

Tech Companies

  • GAADHE Issues A Powerful Call To Action To Tech Giants To Preserve Elections And Democracy (GPAHE)

Faith Leaders

  • Faith in Elections Playbook provides faith communities with practical, actionable steps to engage in elections and foster unity, while ensuring compliance with 501(c)(3) legal standards. Faith communities nationwide are using this resource to recruit poll workers, offer polling sites, combat disinformation, collaborate with election officials, and encourage meaningful dialogue across political divides to build trust in the election process. (Interfaith America, Protect Democracy) 
  • Evangelicals in a Diverse Democracy inspires and equips evangelicals to build bridges across differences in our polarized society. (Interfaith America) 
  • “Election Integrity Toolkit: Elections 2024” which includes state specific information and messages and materials specifically for faith organizations and messengers; veterans and military families; and groups and leaders communicating with business and industry audiences. (Issue One)

Politicians 

Government Resources

Department of Justice (DOJ) 

The DOJ is actively involved in combating election threats.  Their website includes information on the Election Threats Task Force, swatting, artificial intelligence, videos, training and community engagement, and recent task force cases.  They also have a comprehensive list state election resources (links for each Secretary of State website).

To report threats against election workers, the DOJ urges the public to contact the FBI through their Electronic Tip Form or at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324).  If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or local police immediately.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is involved in combating threats to the election through #Protect2024 – and positioned particularly well to support election officials and private sector election infrastructure partners in addressing the physical, cyber, and operational security risks they face. Their website offers simple steps for election officials to take to enhance their organization’s security, addresses common disinformation narratives by providing accurate information related to elections through Election Security Rumor vs. Reality, promotes election officials as the trusted sources of election information during the 2024 election cycle and beyond through the public education initiative #TrustedInfo2024, and links to FAQ’s about election administration to promote accurate information.

CISA provides secure means for constituents and partners to report incidents, phishing attempts, malware, and vulnerabilities.  To submit a report, visit their website.  Once an incident is detected, CISA offers the resources and information needed to effectively respond to a broad range of incidents for a swift response. 

CISA provides Election Security Training for election infrastructure stakeholders that is voluntary and no-cost.  It includes training guides, videos, and self-service tabletop exercise packages, or even direct support from the Agency on request.  To request training, email electionsecurity@cisa.dhs.gov. 

Other helpful links include CISA’s election security resource library, election security services, and contact for their regional offices.  In particular, CISA’s election security resource library provides voluntary, no-cost informational resources for use by state, local, tribal and territorial (SLTT) governments; private sector election infrastructure partners; and the public. These resources are designed to enhance the security and resilience of election infrastructure by helping stakeholders understand and mitigate risks to elections.  Their topics include physical security, cybersecurity, operational risk, foreign influence operations and disinformation, election infrastructure subsector, joint releases, and election security services.

4. Take Action

Sign on as an individual or organization to Issue One’s Statement of Support for Election Workers.

Screen “The Officials” a new film by Margo Guernsey and Sara Archambault premiering on September 17 on TIME and review Issue One’s companion toolkit to amplify the film’s message and prompt important conversations about the role that these dedicated public servants play in ensuring free and fair elections. 

Attend an event:

  • September 21, 2024, at 10:00am local time:  American University’s PERIL and SPLC’s “Election Safety and Anxiety Workshop” in Athens, GA (register here)
  • October 21-23, 2024: Eradicate Hate Global Summit in PA (register here)