A comprehensive survey of local election officials released Tuesday found that 78 percent have experienced harassment, threats, or intimidation related to their work, a significant increase from prior years that has raised alarms about the future of democratic administration.
The survey, conducted by the MIT Election Data and Science Lab, found that threats have increased substantially since 2020 and are affecting recruitment and retention of qualified election workers. Nearly half of officials surveyed said they are considering leaving their positions before the 2026 elections.
"We are witnessing an erosion of the civic infrastructure essential to democracy," said MIT political scientist Charles Stewart. "Without trained, experienced election officials, the administration of elections will suffer regardless of the security of voting systems."
The FBI has reported a 400 percent increase in threats against election workers since 2020, though prosecutions have been limited. Most threats occur online through social media platforms, making attribution and prosecution difficult.
Congress has considered legislation to provide federal protections for election workers, though the bills have stalled amid disputes over the scope of federal authority. Several states have enacted laws criminalizing threats against election officials.
Civil rights organizations have called for comprehensive federal legislation. "Protecting election workers is not a partisan issue," said Protect Democracy Executive Director Norman Eisen. "Both parties should be able to agree that threatening election officials is unacceptable."