About one in three local election officials across the country reported facing threats, harassment, or abuse, according to a new survey of 858 such personnel conducted by the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan law and policy institute.

Nearly 40% of those surveyed reported experiencing threats, harassment, or abuse because of their job, according to the survey.

Survey Reveals Widespread Threats

Some 63% of those threatened were threatened in person, and 52% were concerned about the safety of their colleagues and staff. Twenty-six percent reported being concerned about their family or loved ones being threatened or harassed.

The survey defines harassment in this case as persistent, uninvited behavior, attention, or actions that cause distress, fear, or discomfort, such as stalking. It defines abuse as demeaning, derogatory, or offensive comments, gestures, or actions that upset, belittle, and/or humiliate. It defined threats as explicit or implicit expressions communicating an intention to harm, injure, or cause damage to an individual or others associated with them, implying imminent risk to a person’s well-being and safety.

Nearly two in five threats go unreported to law enforcement, although reports have increased slightly since 2024, the survey said.

The Nature of the Threats

The survey found that threats often occur in person (63%), by phone (59%), on social media (39%), via email (30%), or through the mail (19%). Those surveyed reported that the threats occurred at offices (77% of in-person threats), voting sites (37%), and even in their own homes (12%).

The survey didn’t name the election officials, nor did it provide details about the reported threats. But some election officials in states such as Georgia and New Mexico have spoken out about being threatened.

Personal Stories of Harassment

A former Georgia election official reported receiving an email with a photo of his home and a picture of his face in a rifle’s crosshairs, according to an investigation from News21, the media outlet from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

“Your days are numbered,” the email read, News21 reported. “The FBI can’t save you. Every time you leave your house in the morning, make sure to say goodbye to your family, as you may not see them again.”

“I’m surprised I didn’t just reply back to the email and ask him, ‘Hey, just tell me where to show up; I’ll make it easy for you guys,’” the worker recalled to the news outlet. “I was that worn out – just exhausted.”

New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said she experienced harassment after the 2024 election, but did not file a police report.

A Broader Trend

These experiences reflect a broader trend. The National Conference of State Legislators noted the spike in threats, accusations of crime and leaked private information — known as doxing — at much higher rates than usual.

As a result, some states have enacted legislation to protect them, the NCSL said. Thirty-seven states and Washington, D.C., have laws specifically addressing protections for election officials and poll workers. How states protect these individuals varies, according to the NCSL.

Election workers, who take on a job typically carried out behind the scenes, are fearful.

“One of my biggest fears before taking on this position is the potential threats that are out there,” Wannicha Rojanapradith, the director of elections and general registrar in the city of Fairfax, Virginia, said in a public service announcement video for the Committee for Safe and Secure Elections before the November 2024 elections.

Election Interference Fears

Election officials not only report facing threats from the public, but they are increasingly worried about interference from elected officials, according to the Brennan Center survey.

Nearly 60% worry about political leaders interfering with how election officials do their jobs, the survey said. Some 81% are concerned about false information about elections spreading on social media, and 46% are concerned about politically motivated investigations of election officials, the survey said.

After the New York Times reported last month that President Donald Trump was urging the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate election officials for alleged crimes in failing to secure election systems, David Becker, the executive director and founder of the nonpartisan, non-profit Center for Election Innovation & Research, posted on Bluesky that “This doomed and twisted effort seems part of a larger scheme to sow distrust in upcoming elections.”

“Our elections are as secure as they’ve ever been,” added Becker, a former senior trial attorney in the Voting Section of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division who oversaw voting rights enforcement in several states. “In both 2020 and 2024, over 95% of all ballots were cast ON PAPER (incl every battleground), and those paper ballots are audited to ensure accuracy. That’s the highest percentage of auditable, verifiable paper ballots since the 19th century.”

A media representative for the Justice Department declined to comment. But the representative added that the DOJ’s Civil Rights webpage and Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet K. Dhillon’s official X account are updated regularly with the department’s efforts to increase election integrity.

The added stress on election officials is causing high turnover. A Brennan Center survey from April 2024 found that over one-third of local election officials know at least one person who resigned at least in part due to safety concerns, an increase from 22% in 2023.

The increase in turnover is also reflected in a 2024 study by the Bipartisan Policy Center, which works across the aisle to craft viable solutions that improve lives.

The turnover has lasting effects. Less experienced personnel can lead to errors and undermine public confidence.

A 2023 Brennan Center survey found that a high number of resignations results in a “hollowing out” of the ranks of experienced election administration professionals.

The costs are high. 

“Lost institutional knowledge increases the likelihood of human error. Even when an organization has well-documented procedures, new problems and questions arise. In those circumstances, being able to rely on experienced staff increases efficiency, effectiveness, and security,” according to a report by the political organization Issue One, dedicated to fixing the U.S. political system, building a democracy that works for everyone, and keeping its elections safe.

Election officials are taking protective measures. Some 94% of local election officials coordinated with at least one other agency and 80% with law enforcement to prepare for elections in 2024, the Brennan survey said.

A Call for Civility and Consequences

In the Committee for Safe and Secure Elections PSA, retired U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Marty France called the trend of harassment and threats un-American.

“Attacking and threatening election officials and their families happens in war-torn countries, not in America,” he said.

Orange County, California, Sheriff Don Barnes said acts of violence or intimidation will not be tolerated.

“For those who decide to act out in ways that aren’t legally protected by the Constitution, you should expect that there may be some law enforcement actions taken against you,” he said. “Safe and secure elections are the Hallmark of American democracy.”

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