Election workers face mounting threats ahead of 2024 Vote

As Election Day approaches, threats against state election workers are escalating, with tensions fueled by former President Donald Trump’s repeated claims of a stolen 2020 election. In battleground states, officials are preparing for another contentious vote amid growing concerns over violence and misinformation.

Republican Gabriel Sterling, Georgia’s chief operating officer for the Secretary of State’s office, expressed concern about potential unrest. “The biggest thing I worry about is the possibility of violence by people who lose,” Sterling said.

Election officials, including Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, report a surge in daily threats. “They’re all rooted in lies and misinformation, which is always disappointing and sad, but at the same time, it’s real,” Benson said.

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In Arizona, Republican Bill Gates, a member of Maricopa County’s Board of Supervisors, shared how the hostility led him to seek therapy. “This has unfortunately become a way of life,” Gates said, noting the county’s investment in security measures like metal detectors and fencing to protect election workers.

Philadelphia City Commissioner Seth Bluestein emphasized that many conspiracy theories, such as “magical ballot drops in the middle of the night” or claims that tabulation machines are connected to the internet, are unfounded.

The officials voiced a shared concern that threats and misinformation could lead to violence, with Benson acknowledging, “We all have to brace ourselves for that.”