As election workers increasingly come under attack states and local authorities remain central to how the problem is addressed. This article by Trey Grayson, Matthew Masterson, Orion Danjuma and Ben Berwick is published by Just Security. Here is an excerpt:

Before the 2020 election, Tina Barton was largely unknown outside of her home city of Rochester Hills, Michigan, where – among other duties – she administered elections for the city in her role of city clerk. That anonymity quickly evaporated in the wake of the election. As President Donald Trump and his allies spread lies and conspiracy theories about the election – a concerted disinformation effort that continues to this day – Barton, herself a Republican, joined many other election officials around the country in defending the integrity of the election.

Almost immediately, Barton faced a torrent of threats and harassment, including death threats to her and her family. In just one message, the anonymous caller repeatedly threatened to kill her and her family.

Barton’s story is far from unique. As meticulously documented by Reuters and other news outlets, the dissemination of conspiracy theories about the 2020 election has led to a wave of threats, intimidation, and harassment against election officials across the country. It is no wonder then that, according to a recent report by the Brennan Center and Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), one-third of election officials feel unsafe in their jobs. Many are leaving their positions.

Read the full article here.