Article Summary –
Pennsylvania election officials and experts are concerned about the impact of right-wing disinformation, largely propagated by Donald Trump and his allies, on the safety and recruitment of poll workers and election administrators. While poll workers have not been directly threatened, full-time election administrators have faced significant harassment, leading to a notable exodus from these positions. Despite these challenges, organizations emphasize that poll work remains largely safe, with 95% of surveyed poll workers reporting a positive experience, and efforts to enhance election security are ongoing.
As the November election approaches, Pennsylvania election officials and experts are raising concerns about the impact of right-wing disinformation on poll workers.
For the past four years, former President Donald Trump and his Republican allies have falsely claimed that Trump won the 2020 election. These lies have misled the Republican base and wrongly accused election officials in Pennsylvania and nationwide of preventing Trump’s victory.
“Disinformation is one of the biggest hurdles for everyone involved in elections, from administrators to voters,” said Philadelphia City Commissioner Lisa Deeley, a Democratic member of the three-person bipartisan board managing the city’s elections.
Nationwide, 30% of local election officials have reported being abused, harassed, or threatened, and nearly three in four said threats against election workers have increased, according to an April 2023 report from the Brennan Center for Justice.
Those interviewed noted that poll workers have not been directly threatened. Full-time election administrators, including Deeley and former Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar, have been the main targets of threats, prompting a nationwide exodus of election officials.
Boockvar, who served from 2019 to 2021, had to keep her location secret and couldn’t travel alone after the 2020 election due to death threats. Deeley also received threats following Trump’s baseless claims of fraud in Philadelphia.
Although poll workers haven’t faced the same level of intimidation, Deeley stressed that they are not immune to the disinformation spread by Trump and right-wing officials. She is concerned that disinformation is deterring people from signing up as poll workers.
“Our poll workers hear everything that’s being said,” Deeley said. “They have fear based on a constant stream of mis- and disinformation and real-life events in other places.”
Election experts expressed concerns about the announcement by the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee of plans to send thousands of poll watchers and “legal experts” to polling locations, including in Pennsylvania for the Nov. 5 election.
“Transparency is important, but there must be controls to prevent disruption, interference, or harassment,” Boockvar said. Pennsylvania has strong laws to protect poll workers; for instance, poll watchers must be from the county they are observing.
Trump continues to promote lies about the 2020 election and has refused to say if he’ll accept the 2024 results. His campaign strategy mirrors 2020, accusing opponents of fraud.
Susan Gobreski, vice president of policy at the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania, emphasized the need for responsible and law-abiding citizens to get involved in elections.
“We don’t need vigilantes; we need responsible citizens,” said Gobreski. The Pennsylvania league’s program recruits and retains poll workers in the commonwealth.
Poll work remains safe, experts emphasized.
A Brennan Center report from May 2024 found that 92% of election administrators have enhanced safety and security measures for voters and poll workers post-2020.
Marta Hanson, national program manager for Power the Polls, noted that 95% of poll workers surveyed after the 2022 election had a positive experience and wanted to serve again.
“We don’t want to undercut the real threats faced by election administrators,” Hanson said. “But the high likelihood for poll workers is a positive experience without facing threats or harassment.”
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