Rural towns worry they don’t have the money to keep their election offices and workers safe

Election officials in small towns and rural communities are concerned that they lack the finances to keep their workers safe before the November general election.

The officials were not concerned about the election being secure but rather the physical safety of their workers, NBC News reported. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which oversees election security efforts, has given local workers guidance for improving security, but some towns and counties said they can’t afford to make the necessary changes.

Several county clerks claimed that their job responsibilities have shifted since 2020 because of an increase in threats from pro-Donald Trump voters who believe the election was rigged.

A resident, with ballot in hand, walks towards a voting booth at Auburn Village School, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024, in Auburn, New Hampshire, as New Hampshire’s famously independent-minded electorate makes its pick for the 2024 presidential nominees. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) One election official in Oregon reportedly claimed that her staff was threatened in a message that was painted in a parking lot across the street from the polling place in Jackson County. The message read, “Vote don’t work, next time bullets.”

“I would not be truthful if I didn’t tell you I have lost sleep,” Jackson County Clerk Chris Walker told the outlet. “The job … has completely changed.”

Walker said a CISA official came by about 11 months before the threat was made and suggested they install security cameras across the street, along with changes to the lighting. But Walker said the county was unable to afford it.

In a different part of the state, Harney County Clerk Dag Robinson said his crew will be counting votes at the county courthouse. Robinson said he once brought in some armed guards from a nearby county to help protect election staff who were counting votes after a local recall election. But during the general election, he won’t be able to use them because that county will need them.

CISA reportedly recommended that Harney County arm the doors of the courthouse, protect their power sources, and install a barrier between voters and vote counters. But Robinson said he could not afford to make the changes so far. 

“They’ve pointed out issues that we need to deal with and have given us some avenues for some help for that, but they don’t offer really any funding for that,” Robinson said.

Other rural areas in Massachusetts and Missouri have also complained about lacking funding for important security things, such as an IT department or backup generators in case of bad weather. 

Jen Easterly, the director of CISA, acknowledged the concerns of the small towns and said they are now the focus of the federal agency.

“States to this point in time, they have pretty good resources and capabilities to deal with the full range of threats,” Easterly said. “But at the local level, townships, municipalities, counties, that’s where we have a challenge for resources. So that’s where we’ve been focused.”

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Easterly also encouraged states to help the smaller communities with the funding problem, including helping the local communities apply for federal grants.

“States also need to focus on this on a matter of top priority, particularly as we go into this presidential election year,” Easterly said.

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