Election workers contend with harassment, threats

In the run-up to the 2024 national election, county elections offices across the country are hiring and training thousands of temporary workers.

These election workers, alongside an array of volunteers and full-time state employees, will carry out the nation's most important logistical challenge, just like they and their predecessors have so many times before, though with a troubling potential twist showing up more and more.

In addition to the hurdles of collecting, securing and tabulating millions of ballots, these workers increasingly have faced an additional obstacle: a rising tide of harassment and threats of violence.

And it hasn't stopped there: Last November, six counties across Washington received envelopes filled with white powder, some including traces of fentanyl. In King County, one of these envelopes spilled out in the office's mail room, prompting some 300 employees to evacuate.

"We spent three hours outside in the parking lot after Election Day while hazmat teams and law enforcement did what they needed to do," Halei Watkins, communications manager for King County Elections, said. "After the mailroom was deep cleaned, we got back into building, went right back to work, and posted results at 4 p.m. like we otherwise would have."

Trainings and cooperation with law enforcement is key to addressing these kinds of situations, Watkins said. But it introduces new difficulties in recruiting election workers while also presenting new levels of contingency planning for risks that less than a decade ago would've been considered unheard of.

Ninety-two percent of local election offices have taken steps to increase election security since 2020.

The current climate has prompted 92% of local election offices to take steps to increase election security since 2020, with enhanced cooperation with law enforcement being the most common, according to Liz Howard, director of partner engagement with the Brennan Center for Justice's Elections and Government program.

Animosity and threats directed at elections officials have also caused staffing issues in several states. An analysis conducted by the non-profit Issue One found that 38 million Americans in the western United States have a new chief election official since the last presidential election. Harassment concerns are also making it difficult to field large numbers of temporary workers and volunteers.

Despite these challenges, elections officials in Washington say they are prepared to carry out their duties in the days and weeks ahead.

Preparing for worst-case scenarios

County elections offices across the country have taken a multitude of steps to increase security and guard against potential threats to the process and workers, Howard explained during a presentation hosted by the Foley Institute for Public Policy and Public Service last month.

More than half of responding officials said their county has implemented cybersecurity projects, while upwards of 40% responded that they've updated polling place contingency plans, created emergency plans in cooperation with law enforcement, participated in security training, or enhanced the physical security of offices or polling places.

While Whitman County wasn't one of the six to receive suspicious envelopes of white powder last November, the incident caught employees' attention, said Auditor Sandy Jamison. Since 2020, the county has installed bullet resistant glass and has also purchased a special sealed container that can be used to isolate any suspicious packages while they are being opened. This is to protect employees during an evaluation.

"You're preparing for all things that you hope you never have to deal with, but you have to be ready for the worst case scenario," Jamison said.

Spokane County's election office was one of the six to be sent the white powder envelopes last November, and an on-site test did find trace amounts of fentanyl.

"It's a really sad statement about our society when someone thinks this is an acceptable form of protest," Spokane County Auditor Vicky Dalton said. "This is putting other people's lives in danger, as well as imperiling democracy."

While staff were shaken up about the incident, the overwhelming feeling was frustration at whoever sent the letter, as well as resolve to be prepared in the event a similar situation occurs in the future.

Prior to last November's white powder incident, King County received a letter in August calling for the end of elections that also referenced white powder. While it wasn't visible, the Postal Inspections Service did find trace amounts of fentanyl, Watkins said. That prompted the department to put together new mail safety trainings in collaboration with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, which paid off just a few months later.

The Brennan Center's survey found one in three election officials have experienced threats, harassment, or abuse.

Like many county elections offices, King County has received its share of unfounded accusations of fraud and concerning comments from members of the public. The Brennan Center's survey found one in three election officials have experienced threats, harassment, or abuse.

More than 60% of threat reports took place in person, making it as likely as threats made over the phone. Four in 10 local elections workers reported being concerned about having their personal information leaked online, with nearly a quarter worried about swatting - the act of targeting an individual with a false report of a violent crime in progress to police.

In the wake of these concerns, many counties are struggling to find enough election workers.

Staffing up

Incidents like those in Spokane and King counties did prompt a few of Jamison's temporary elections workers in Whitman County to opt out of returning. Fortunately, the county's League of Women Voters has stepped up to fill in the gaps.

In Spokane County, their staff of six full-time employees is being bolstered with the addition of some 140 temporary workers. Dozens of these workers will be needed to help with processing ballots, verifying signatures, conducting on-site voter registration and collecting ballots from the 27 drop boxes found across the county.

By the time Election Day rolls around, King County will have 85 ballot drop boxes available. In response to the significant number of voters who turned in ballots shortly after the voting period began, King County will be sending out crews daily to collect completed ballots.

In total, the county is aiming to hire around 800 temporary workers, compared to the 250-300 that are hired for a non-presidential election. That's on top of the 72 permanent full time staffers King County Elections employees.

Watkins expects the temporary workforce to have approximately one in three returning election workers. Cross-training temporary workers on everything from customer support and data entry to signature verification is critical to ensuring a smooth elections process. All elections employees receive mail safety and de-escalation training in response to the threats and upticks in hostility at ballot drop boxes.

While temporary workers are resilient, Watkins said many previous election workers have voiced concerns about how the work affects their personal lives.

"We've heard from some of our older workers who decided they don't want to deal with the hostility anymore," Watkins said. "We've also heard they are tired of carrying conversations about elections into their homes with family members who question the work they are doing."

The voting period in Washington begins no later than Oct. 16. For more information on elections, visit the Secretary of State's website.

"Our elections are run by trained and experience professionals," Watkins said "These are our jobs and we take this work very seriously. Our responsibilities are clearly defined in state and federal law, and we're following those laws to make elections happen."

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