Virginia lawmakers aim for protections for elections workers ahead of 2024

A bill to strengthen protections for elections workers is expected to hit the Virginia Senate floor for a vote on Tuesday.

The aim of the bill is to head off any threats, harassment, or harm that could be leveled at election workers both in and outside of their workplace during what is anticipated to be a fraught and polarizing election year.

That’s a change from current law, which offers protection for election workers exclusively inside of polling locations.

“Regardless of where they’re threatened or harassed, if it’s targeted conduct because they’re an election official or an employee of an election official, they should be protected,” Sen. Adam Ebbin, chief patron of the bill, said in an interview. “It should be an elevated penalty. It needs to be explicit and clear that we protect our election officials.”

2020 threats led to turnover

Ebbin, a Democrat who represents Alexandria, noted that there has been a drastic decrease in the number of poll workers due to ongoing harassment across the country. He pointed to a report, released in April by the Brennan Center for Justice, that said 30% of poll workers have been abused, harassed, or threatened because of their job as a local election official.

“There’s been a series of violent and relentless threats against poll workers across the nation since the 2020 election,” Ebbin said.

That same report noted that elections officials saw significant turnover, roughly 11%, following the 2020 election and the upheaval that followed.

Dawn Wilmoth, registrar for the city to Petersburg, said increased protections for election workers is needed.

“We often become the target of mean-spirited verbal discussions and/or actions,” she said in an email. “We lost a few officers of elections back in the fall of 2020 due to all of the negativity.”

Wilmoth said the animosity felt by election workers has died down since the last presidential election, but she’s anticipating tempers could run high as the 2024 election draws near.

“I would hate to think any local election officials would suffer any harm by working for our locality. Those folks are vital to the success of election day," Christi Linhoss, registrar for the city of Staunton, said in an email.

Election workers to be protected under hate crime designation

Assault, assault and battery, or trespass for the purpose of damaging property of current or former election workers would be considered hate crimes under the legislation. The bill would also allow election workers who are victims of acts of intimidation or harassment, violence or vandalism, to seek civil recourse.

The bill also makes it a Class 5 felony to hinder or prevent an election worker from being able to administer elections anywhere. Under the current law, it is only a Class 5 felony to hinder or prevent an election worker from doing their job at a polling place.

“You can’t threaten our electors, or our people who administer our elections or their employees,” Ebbin said. “If someone threatens bodily harm, that should be dealt with severely and swiftly.”

Heading off potential threats in Virginia

Ebbin said he hopes his legislation will effectively head off any potential threats election workers could face this year, even if there hasn’t been a significant increase in reports of threats, harassment or violence against election workers in the Commonwealth following the 2020 election.

“This isn’t about one incident in Virginia, it’s about a desire to make it clear that we support our non-partisan election officials being given the space to do their job without undue harassment,” he said.

The only pushback he’s seen against the legislation is in committee votes, when lawmakers voted on party lines, Democrats in support of the bill and Republicans against it.

“It should be bipartisan to protect election officials.”

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Virginia lawmakers to vote on bill to protect election workers