Threats against Elections Officials in the US: Secretaries of State Speak Out
The safety of election officials in the United States has come under threat, with four secretaries of state revealing that they have received death threats since Donald Trump left office in 2021. During a recent interview on Meet the Press, Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes described these threats as “domestic terrorism.”
Fontes, along with secretaries of state from Michigan, Georgia, and Pennsylvania, shared their experiences of receiving threats and the impact it has had on their lives. Fontes mentioned that he has prepared to go into hiding, even going so far as to prepare “go bags” in case he needs to flee his home.
Michigan’s Secretary of State, Joyce Benson, stated that these threats are intended to “delegitimize democracy” and instill fear in election officials and voters. The threats began following the 2020 election, fueled by Trump’s false claims of election fraud, which ultimately led to the January 6th attack on the US Capitol.
The threats are not only targeted at top state officials but also local election workers, according to Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who famously received a call from Trump in 2020 urging him to overturn the election results, revealed that threats against his family have been particularly distressing.
In a recent case, a man from Ohio was sentenced to prison for threatening the life of an Arizona elections official. The Department of Justice has launched an Elections Threats Task Force to address these threats and protect elections workers from violence and intimidation.
Despite the threats and challenges, the secretaries of state emphasized that elections in the US are secure and that they will continue to provide good elections for all voters across the country. The issue of threats against election officials highlights the importance of safeguarding democracy and ensuring the safety of those responsible for overseeing elections.
