There will be extra security at the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2025.
The mayor of Washington, D.C., among others, asked for the event to be designated as an NSSE, or National Special Security Event.
The Secret Service released a statement Wednesday saying in part, “This marks the first time a National Special Security Event designation has been granted for a Certification of Electoral Votes and follows a request made by the DC Mayor to designate this event a National Special Security Event.”
This will be the first election certification since the attack on the U.S. Capitol building in 2021. More than 200 police officers were reportedly injured on that day.
With the new designation, the Secret Service will design and implement a security plan. This includes more resources, more officers on the ground, advanced technology to detect weapons, and a larger security perimeter around the Capitol.
The federal government works with state and local partners.
Other National Special Security Events include national conventions, the State of the Union, presidential inaugurations, and even the Olympic games.
The designation of NSSEs began in 1998. Congress appropriated money for these events starting in 2006, according to the Congressional Research Service.
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@scrippsnews This upcoming January 6, the U.S. Capitol will get Super Bowl-level security for the electoral vote count after being designated a National Special Security Event. Here’s why that’s a big deal. #security #election2024 #government #news ♬ original sound - Scripps News