John Locher/AP
Election workers hold ballots during a recount of mail-in ballots at the Clark County Election Department, Thursday, June 30, 2022, in North Las Vegas.
Thursday, April 25, 2024 | 2 a.m.
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Election officials in Nevada and across the country are essential to maintaining the democratic process. As a business owner in the Silver State, I recognize the importance of upholding a civic duty to improve my community and those around me — just as election workers uphold their civic duty by playing a vital role in preserving the electoral process around the state.
The bad news is that as election workers begin to prepare for the 2024 general election, they are facing an increased amount of threats and harassment, which interferes with their ability to maintain elections. Ten of Nevada’s 17 counties have lost their registrar of voters since 2020, with many resigning due to threats or harassment.
Harassment and threats against election officials can range from malicious phone calls, texts or emails, to physical violence or the release of private information to the public. Protections for election officials must cover each form of violence, harassment or threat, and the potential for resulting emotional and physical harm, to ensure their safety as they prepare for elections.
The impacts are being felt across the U.S. In 2022, a nationwide survey revealed that 1 in 6 local election officials had personally experienced threats due to their jobs, with over 75% of them stating that threats and violence have increased tremendously in recent years.
As more election workers experience violence, they become increasingly discouraged from working in elections in the future, making our elections vulnerable. For example, a Brennan Center for Justice survey revealed that 20% of election officials are unlikely to stay in their jobs for the upcoming general election, a 6% increase from the 2022 midterms. Without the proper legal protections set in place, violence against election workers will only continue to increase. The good news is that at least 15 states, including Nevada, have passed reforms to protect election officials since January 2022.
In fact, Nevada has the opportunity to continue serving as a leader in protecting elections, which it began in 2023 by enacting bill Senate Bill 406, making it a felony to harass, threaten or intimidate election workers with the intent of influencing elections or retaliation against them for doing their jobs. This bill directly addresses harm that causes death, bodily injury or stalking, or that would cause a reasonablepersontofear death, bodilyinjuryorstalking. However, it does not address the emotional distress one would reasonably experience from harassment or publication of private information.
Many states have laws protecting election officials but lack the versatility to address the various forms of harm an election worker can face, so SB 406 can serve as a template for states nationwide when developing legislation to strengthen protections for election workers.
With the election fast approaching, much work still needs to be done to ensure the safety of election workers and the integrity of voting in Nevada and nationwide. Election officials will only feel fully protected if federal and state protections are strengthened.
If lawmakers fail to protect election officials, vulnerable states nationwide will face more repercussions than others. In particular, in states like Pennsylvania, where nearly 70 county election directors or assistant directors have left their jobs, or even in Nevada, where more than half of the state’s election officials resigned between the 2020 and 2022 elections, strengthened protections are needed to establish a safer environment for election officials.
As states continue to strengthen protections, we must remember that these protections serve not only to safeguard the integrity of elections but also our democracy as a whole. As the election approaches, lawmakers nationwide must pass legislation to strengthen protections for election officials for the greater good of democracy.
Lara Pearson is a business owner in Incline Village.
