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A recent survey of poll workers by the nonprofit Brennan Center for Justice found, “Nearly one in three local election officials know at least one election worker who has left the job, partly due to safety concerns, increased threats, or intimidation.”
The study found:
- Nearly three times as many local election officials are very worried about interference by political leaders in how they and fellow local election officials do their jobs going forward as they say they were before 2020.
- 1 in 5 local election officials are “very” or “somewhat unlikely” to continue serving through 2024; politicians’ attacks on the system, stress, and retirement plans are the primary reasons they plan to leave their jobs.
- More than 3 in 4 local election officials feel that threats against local election officials have increased in recent years.
- Nearly 1 in 3 know of at least one election worker who has left their job at least in part because of fears for their safety, increased threats, or intimidation.
- 3 in 5 are concerned that threats and harassment will make it harder to retain or recruit election workers going forward.
- 1 in 6 local election officials have experienced threats, and more than half of…

