Article Summary –
Kathy Boockvar, former Pennsylvania Secretary of State, faced numerous threats after the 2020 election due to false claims of election fraud by President Donald Trump and his supporters, leading her to live in fear and stay in undisclosed locations. The persistence of election disinformation is causing high turnover rates among election workers and increased harassment, creating concerns about the future of election administration and its impact on democracy. Boockvar now works with the Committee for Safe and Secure Elections to combat disinformation and improve election security through training and resources.
In 2020, Kathy Boockvar’s 21-year-old daughter first alerted her: An image of the Pennsylvania secretary of state’s face in crosshairs was circulating on right-wing social media.
This wasn’t her first threat post-2020 election and certainly not the last. As President Donald Trump falsely claimed national and Pennsylvania victory, his followers began to target election officials.
For Boockvar, secretary of state from 2019 to 2021, threats against her and her family surged. After the election, marred by right-wing conspiracy theories, she always kept a to-go bag ready to flee.
She did just that when her daughter called about the photo, which had spread from fringe sites like Parler to mainstream right-wing accounts. Boockvar left her Bucks County home, staying in undisclosed locations for over a week.
“For about a month and a half, I did not stay alone,” said Boockvar, appointed by former Gov. Tom Wolf in 2019. “I was advised to cover my head and wear hats and scarves. I was scared to walk the dog or be outside doing normal activities.”
Four years later, Boockvar no longer fears for her life but worries about increasing election disinformation as the Nov. 5 election nears.
While state and federal officials work to ensure safer elections, Trump and his right-wing allies persist in spreading falsehoods about 2020. Trump’s debunked claims about Pennsylvania and national election integrity fuel animosity toward election workers, prompting many to leave their positions, experts and officials say.
An April 2024 report from the Center for Bipartisan Policy found that Pennsylvania’s turnover rate for local election officials was 56.7% from 2018 to 2022, one of the highest in the country. Remaining election workers nationwide report high levels of harassment and fear for their safety.
A Brennan Center for Justice survey in 2023 found that three in four local election officials feel threats against them have increased, and 30% have faced abuse, harassment, or threats due to their job. Additionally, 21% of local election officials started their positions post-2020 or are unlikely to stay through 2024.
“Election officials are the heroes of our democracy, allowing us to exercise our fundamental right to vote,” said Boockvar, now president of Athena Strategies, a Pennsylvania-based consulting firm focused on election security.
Attacks against election workers could change the country’s electoral landscape, said Philadelphia City Commissioner Lisa Deeley. A Democratic member of the three-person bipartisan board overseeing city elections, Deeley faced threats from Trump supporters after his baseless claims of fraud in Philadelphia.
“I used to be like a wedding planner,” Deeley said. “Election Day would come, we’d ensure everything worked, count votes, and everyone went on their way.
“Now, if I go somewhere, people recognize me. Someone will whisper something derogatory, like, ‘That’s the girl that stole the votes,’ which makes you uncomfortable,” Deeley said.
These interactions leave her with anxiety she never experienced before 2020.
“I worry about the next generation of election administrators. Who will they be, and how long will they stay? It will affect elections for decades unless we stop spreading false information first,” Deeley said.
Boockvar believes fighting disinformation is crucial. If someone notices false information being spread by officials, family, or friends, they must speak up.
“Many more of us believe this is wrong and understand election officials protect our democracy. We need to be louder and speak up,” Boockvar said.
Boockvar pointed to the Committee for Safe and Secure Elections, established in 2022 by pro-democracy organizations like the Brennan Center for Justice and the Elections Group. The committee offers training for law enforcement and election workers to strengthen election security protocols. They also created guides to inform election officials, law enforcement, and voters about election laws in every state.
“Many good people are working to help America heal,” Boockvar said.
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