Threats to Local US Election Officials Are Rising, and More Workers Are Quitting
Increased harassment, threats and litigation are creating a more hostile environment for LEOs, who are leaving their jobs at higher rates than in the past.
Workers sort ballots inside the Maricopa County Tabulation & Election Center in Phoenix on March 19, 2024.
Photographer: Diannie Chavez/The Republic/USA Today Network
In the US, all elections are local—even presidential ones. Before states certify results, appointed or elected leaders process ballots at the county or town level. Along with paid staff and temporary poll workers, the local election officials (LEOs) are the bulwark for basic democracy. New research from think tanks and universities shows their jobs are harder than ever.
The four-year turnover rate among LEOs nationally jumped to 39% in 2022, from 28% in 2004. The figure was even higher in several battleground states, as well as more populous jurisdictions. According to Joshua Ferrer, a political science researcher at the University of California at Los Angeles and the co-author of an April 2024 report about this trend for the Bipartisan Policy Center, turnover this year is likely to be at the same level or even slightly higher. “That is indicative of election officials feeling more political pressure and experiencing more harassment,” he says.