Concerns Mount as Election Worker Resignations Surge Ahead of 2024
A surge of election worker resignations is causing concern for the integrity of the 2024 presidential election, as voting rights groups and state election chiefs warn about the potential risks and added strain on the nation's electoral system
Election rights groups and state election chiefs are warning that a wave of departures by election officials in critical states could further strain the nation's election system before the upcoming presidential contest in the following year. The increasing concern surrounding these resignations and retirements stems from the ongoing threats, harassment, and partisan meddling that election workers have been enduring. These issues were initially triggered by unfounded allegations of a stolen White House election in 2020.
Since November 2020, over 160 top local election officials have resigned from their positions across 11 Western states in a specific region. This information comes from a regional case study conducted by Issue One, a nonprofit watchdog group that monitors such departures. The study also revealed that in the counties where new election chiefs have been appointed, the average level of experience has dropped from approximately eight years to just one.
In the state of Arizona, which gained attention for election misinformation after Joe Biden won by a margin of just over 10,000 votes, 12 out of the 15 county election chiefs have left their positions since the 2020 election. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat who was elected last year, adds that one of the departing officials even experienced the tragic incident of having their dogs poisoned as a method of intimidation.
Throughout the nation, there is an observable phenomenon known as brain drain.
Pennsylvania, a state that holds significant importance in presidential elections, has also been affected by this trend. Republican Al Schmidt, the elections chief appointed by the state, has revealed that a considerable number of county election directors or assistant directors, totaling almost 70 individuals, have resigned from their positions since January 2020. This departure has occurred in at least 40 out of the 67 counties in the state.
"It's a national emergency," said Nick Penniman, CEO of Issue One, in an interview with CNN. "In the private sector, a company facing such rapid and significant losses would likely face bankruptcy."
Threats persist
Schmidt, a former Philadelphia city commissioner who had previously assisted in election oversight, experienced threats against both himself and his family members in the aftermath of Donald Trump's baseless claims of election theft in 2020.
In a recent congressional hearing, Schmidt acknowledged that the atmosphere surrounding election administration continues to be filled with conflict.
Moreover, he cautioned that the departure of skilled personnel will further contribute to the rise of conspiracy theories in the coming months.
Schmidt asserted, "When individuals with limited election administration experience are in charge of running elections, the likelihood of errors increases. These errors are then interpreted as intentional wrongdoing due to the prevailing atmosphere of suspicion."
Even locations distant from the swing states that received significant attention in 2020 are currently experiencing security concerns. Julie Wise, the county election director for King County, Washington, which encompasses Seattle, recounted receiving a letter during the summer that expressed a vent about elections. The sender of the letter cautioned that it contained a hazardous substance and advised officials to be equipped with Narcan, a drug employed to potentially reverse fatal opioid overdoses.
Wise informed CNN that the letter, upon investigation, was discovered to have small quantities of fentanyl. She expressed her concerns as a public employee, stating that while staying vigilant is necessary, the explicit reference to violence is a relatively unfamiliar and unsettling situation.
According to a summary from the US Justice Department, they have brought criminal charges against at least 14 individuals after establishing a task force in 2021 to tackle threats against election workers.
Moreover, the National Conference of State Legislatures reports that 11 states have passed laws since 2020 to offer additional safeguards for election officials and poll workers. These laws include making it a criminal offense to threaten a worker and protecting the home addresses of election officials.
Election monitors argue that additional measures are necessary, such as increasing federal funding and expanding a federal legislation that criminalizes the disclosure of confidential personal details of federal employees to encompass election officials.
President Biden's fiscal 2024 budget suggested allocating $1.6 billion in federal election grants, although it seems improbable for Congress to sanction an amount anywhere near that value.
The main elections funding bill in Congress, which progressed from the Senate Appropriations Committee earlier this year, allocated only a small portion - $75 million - for election security grants. Issue One is one of the organizations advocating for a considerably higher funding.
"Our election systems have been severely overlooked for many years, and now our election workers are facing frequent mistreatment," Penniman stated. "It is imperative for this to come to an end."
Workers are currently facing new challenges as lawmakers in certain states seek to increase their control over election administration in preparation for the 2024 elections.
For example, in Wisconsin, the state Senate, which is controlled by Republicans, voted in September to dismiss Meagan Wolfe, the top elections administrator, despite opposition from the majority of election commissioners responsible for supervising her work. The Republican-controlled state Assembly has now initiated proceedings to impeach her.
Trump supporters have attributed his loss in Wisconsin to the changes made to the state's voting procedures during the pandemic. (Litigation is currently ongoing regarding the vote to remove Wolfe, and a Wisconsin judge has recently ruled that she can continue in her position until a decision is reached in the case.)
Meanwhile, in North Carolina, a swing state that will have a crucial governor's race on the ballot next year, GOP lawmakers have recently altered the composition of local and state election boards. Starting in January, these boards must have an equal number of members from each party, and GOP legislative leaders have granted themselves the authority to appoint board chairs in case of deadlock during leadership selection. (With new boundaries approved by lawmakers last month, the Republican supermajorities in the state Legislature are expected to solidify their control for years to come.)
In the past, the governor's party had a strong presence in the election panels. Currently, the Democrat, Gov. Roy Cooper, is the chief executive in North Carolina.
Advocates argue that this alteration in North Carolina will prevent any excessive control by a governor. Detractors express concern that this change may result in frustrating standstills on various matters, such as the implementation of early voting centers and the validation of election outcomes.
It does keep us up at night
The state of North Carolina has also been affected by a significant number of election administrators leaving their positions. According to Karen Brinson Bell, the executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections, since January 2019, 53 out of 100 chief county election officials have departed from their roles. Brinson Bell has been keeping track of these departures since assuming the position of the state's election chief in that year.
One of those individuals is Kathy Holland, who recently retired from her position overseeing elections in Alamance County, located in central North Carolina, towards the end of 2021. Having devoted almost 32 years to the field of elections, Holland shared that her choice to leave was largely influenced by her family member's health issues. Additionally, the job itself had become increasingly stressful, according to Holland. Not only did she tackle the formidable task of organizing an election amidst a pandemic, but her office was also bombarded with frequent public records requests from activists searching for any signs of wrongdoing following the 2020 election.
"I felt like that they were looking for something. And if they didnt find it, they would make it up," she said.
The turnover in the Tar Heel State has wiped out years of experience, officials say.
According to Brinson Bell's tally, next year, more than a quarter of North Carolina's local election chiefs, specifically 26 election directors, will be overseeing their first presidential contest as the top election administrator in their respective counties. The loss of experienced staff is a major concern, as Brinson Bell stated, "It does keep us up at night." She further explained that even individuals who are well-skilled and passionate about public service will face significant challenges in taking on this responsibility without any prior background in elections.
Adam Byrnes, a 22-year-old recent graduate from Emory University, has taken on the role of election administrator in Swain County, North Carolina. Hired in May, he now leads a team of two other employees and is responsible for a wide range of tasks. These include overseeing the implementation of the state's voter ID requirements and reviewing campaign finance submissions from candidates in his community. Adam brings prior experience in civic engagement projects from his time as a college student in Georgia.
"There is so much to learn, particularly because this is my initial full-time position after graduating from college," Byrnes shared with CNN. However, he expressed gratitude for the supportive community and believes that his compact office is well-prepared to effectively conduct the ongoing municipal elections.
"Perhaps next year, the situation will evolve," he remarked. "Elections naturally tend to be political. We are well aware of that. Nonetheless, our responsibility is to act as impartial mediators and ensure the enforcement of regulations, allowing individuals to exercise their voting rights in a fair and unrestricted manner."
State officials in North Carolina and other regions express their dedication to providing substantial assistance to the upcoming group of administrators responsible for overseeing the elections of the following year. Additionally, Fontes, the secretary of state in Arizona, commends these individuals for willingly assuming these responsibilities despite the notable challenges experienced in recent times.
"The folks that are coming in know what they are getting into," Fontes said. "And it is ⦠that civic bravery, that courage thats really encouraging to me."
