Since the 2020 election cycle, state and local election officials have been the targets of an alarming increase in violent threats and harassment. Much of this rise can be linked to the proliferation of unfounded claims of voter fraud and rigged elections. As a result, some states have passed new laws that seek to explicitly protect the election officials who protect our democracy.
These additional protections can include increased criminal penalties for threatening or harassing officials or interfering with officials in the performance of their duties. These policies may also allow officials to have their personal information exempted from public records. It should be noted that generally applicable state laws may already be in place that can protect election officials and prosecute perpetrators of threats or intimidation.
The following resources track state laws explicitly intended to protect election officials in response to the recent increase in threats and harassment.
