Our elections are secure, but our election officials are not.

Today, the Brennan Center released a new poll of local election officials. Twelve percent, roughly one in nine, have resigned since the 2020 election, and an additional eleven percent are likely to leave their jobs before the 2024 election.

Part of the Great Resignation? Not exactly. Election officials don’t seem to be seeking out remote work opportunities or fleeing to the exurbs. They’re more worried about their safety and the safety of their families. According to the poll results, nearly one in three officials has been harassed, abused, or threatened. One in five is worried about being physically assaulted on the job. And 45 percent expressed concern for the safety of other election officials and workers. None of them signed up for this.

Here, perhaps more than in any other area of governance, we see two diseases of American politics converging: disinformation and guns.

Republicans have long made baseless claims of voter fraud. Republican-controlled legislatures have worked to close polls earlier, reduce the number of […]