Election workers can be the best whistleblowers about interference, but they need protection from backlash

Election workers and officials help keep American
democracy healthy. (Photo by Ernie Journeys, Unsplash)

With November elections less than a month away, "lawyers at the Government Accountability Project, a nonprofit whistleblower protection organization, are preparing for a potential influx of calls from a new type of client this fall: election workers," reports Molly Bloom of Route Fifty. "Local, county and state election officials, poll workers and even contractors like voting machine operators are best positioned to identify and warn of attempts to interfere with the election process."

Over the past decade, election workers have faced increasing public scrutiny, rudeness and even threats of violence. Bloom explains, "Nearly 40% of local election officials reported experiencing threats, harassment or abuse last year, according to a Brennan Center for Justice survey. And 62% reported concerns about political leaders engaging in efforts to interfere with how election officials do their jobs."

Dana Gold, director of the Government Accountability Project’s Democracy Protection Initiative, told Bloom, "These are just public servants who we are depending on to really protect our democracy." The initiative created a guide for whistleblowers in battleground states. It aims to empower election workers with knowledge on how and when to speak up if something seems irregular.

For U.S. democracy to remain healthy, election workers need to report possible election interference without fear of retribution from the public or political officials. Bloom reports, "The laws protecting those who might blow the whistle on any interference, much like the laws governing the administration of elections, vary by state." Gold told Bloom, "There's no one law for whistleblowers. That's why it's important to get advice early.”

In 2021, when the Election Official Legal Defense Network was founded to "provide pro-bono legal help and advice for election officials, it was hailed as the first organization of its kind."