Election administrators called on lawmakers Tuesday to increase federal support ahead of 2024 elections as threats and violence against election workers increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One in six election officials have experienced some kind of threat, said Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), chair of the Senate Rules Committee, citing a 2022 poll conducted by the Brennan Center for Justice.
\u201cThese dedicated public servants should be able to do their jobs without fear or intimidation,\u201d she said during a hearing of her committee Tuesday afternoon.
Klobuchar said threats to election workers stem in part from disinformation, especially when spread online or through social media.
\u201cIn the face of these challenges, it is important as ever that we continue to support election officials as they do their jobs to uphold our democracy,\u201d Klobuchar said.
New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver\u2002told lawmakers that she\u2019s seen a rise in election misinformation since 2020, increasing election distrust.
\u201cElection administrators then bear the associated burdens of frivolous lawsuits, excessively burdensome public information requests, disruptive voters and poll workers and outright threats and harassment,\u201d Toulouse Oliver said.
Sen. Alex Padilla\u2002(D-Calif.) said threats toward election workers are a \u201cconsequence of the Big Lie,\u201d referring to former President Trump\u2019s claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.
\u201cIt\u2019s not just a matter of capacity that\u2019s being lost as a result, but the tremendous talent and experience that\u2019s lost while threats and challenges to our elections are only on the increase,\u201d he added.
Toulouse Oliver said that updated policies and procedures, such as not publicly disclosing election workers\u2019 home addresses, can help solve some security concerns, but that many states lack funding to upgrade physical safety and cybersecurity measures.
\u201cThe federal government can help states and their election administrators by providing consistent funding streams,\u201d Toulouse Oliver said.
President Biden\u2019s\u2002recently proposed budget for fiscal 2024 includes $5 billion in new election assistance funding that would be allocated over 10 years. However, Republicans are seeking spending cuts, and it\u2019s unclear if election support could face the GOP chopping block.
Rising violence and threats have contributed to many poll workers leaving their positions. Thirty percent of officials surveyed by the Brennan Center knew of one or more election workers who left at least in part because of safety concerns, increased threats or other intimidation.
Ranking member Sen. Deb Fischer\u2002(R-Neb.) said challenges to election integrity have increased due to cybersecurity issues and distrust from foreign and domestic adversaries.
\u201cAs these new issues arise, states are still tasked with the important work of recruiting, training and retaining poll workers,\u201d Fischer said. \u201cThis has become more difficult in recent years as many of the most dedicated election workers and volunteers have retired.\u201d
Robert Evnen, Nebraska\u2019s secretary of state, told lawmakers the state has responded to \u201cheightened interest\u201d in elections and the need to attract more election officials by increasing outreach to encourage residents to become poll workers or observers on Election Day.
\u201cAnd what we find is that as they become more familiar with the process itself, their confidence in the integrity of the process grows,\u201d Evnen said. \u201cI think it\u2019s very important that we recognize their work, and that we express appreciation and gratitude to them for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n