Safeguarding Our Democracy: Protecting Elections and Election Workers Every Step of the Way

July 18, 2023 – The safety and security of election workers are paramount in upholding the integrity of our democratic processes. However, recent years have seen a distressing increase in threats and violence directed toward these essential workers. Though the 2022 midterm elections were largely free of physical violence, election officials and workers across the country continue to be threatened, intimidated, and harassed at an alarming rate. As a result of safety concerns and other added pressures and stresses, the number of resignations of election workers across the country has drastically spiked. 

Recognizing this landscape, the Committee for Safe and Secure Elections (CSSE) has outlined a series of recommendations to address these issues ahead of the 2024 election in a new policy paper. The urgency of action and the importance of safeguarding the election workers who serve as the backbone of our democratic process cannot be overstated. The recommendations in the paper are supported by a cross-partisan group of election administrators, law enforcement officers, and policy experts. The four main principles include:

1. Ensuring adequate resources, security, and training to address emerging threats to election workers

2. Protecting the privacy of election workers and their families as a defense against threats

3. Promoting meaningful accountability for perpetrators of threats

4. Increasing access to data about threats against election workers to support policy solutions

Preserving the integrity of our elections and protecting our democratic system requires the collective efforts of policymakers, election administrators, law enforcement agencies, and the public. 

To learn more about the detailed recommendations and insights presented in the policy paper, you can access the full document on our website. Together, let us work toward a future where election workers can carry out their crucial responsibilities without fear or intimidation.