Battleground State Election Officials Describe Fears, Preparations

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are seemingly as close as it gets in the race to become America’s 47th president, and the outcome could come down to a small number of counties in battleground states. Disputes and disorder may well follow.

According to the poll tracker 538, its forecast model as of November 3 had Trump winning the election 53 times in every 100 simulations it ran versus 47 victories for Harris.

In the 2020 election, supporters of Trump descended on the counts in close-run counties to protest against the results after the Republican nominee declared himself the true winner, not President Joe Biden, and made unfounded claims of mass voter fraud.

At the same time, supporters of the Democratic nominee Biden held their own rallies across the country in opposition to Trump’s attempt to claim the win by alleging fraud and using litigation to stop the counts in key states.

Trump’s false claims of victory came to a head on January 6, 2021, when a mob of his supporters rioted inside the U.S. Capitol to disrupt the formal confirmation of Biden as the winner of the 2020 election. Many Trump voters still erroneously believe he won in 2020.

An election in 2024 as close as the polls suggest sets the stage for a re-run of the events of 2020 and 2021, perhaps on a bigger and more violent scale. And the first stop for unhappy voters could be, as before, the counts themselves.

There is still a deep mistrust of the electoral process among Trump’s base, many of who are unlikely to accept a loss without a fight. And the strength of feeling against Trump on the opposing side is likely to fuel angry street protests if he comes out on top.

With the potential for a fractious election on November 5 in the days and weeks after, Newsweek asked officials in charge of the counts in 2024 battleground states what their biggest fear is, and how they have prepared for the big moment. Here’s what they said.

Dana Lewis, Pinal County Recorder, Arizona

The Pinal County Recorder’s office has spent a tremendous amount of time and energy in assuring our public that our elections are fair, free, legal and transparent, including the construction and opening of our Pinal County V.O.T.E.S. (Voter Operation Technology and Election Services) facility.

You ask what is my biggest fear about the coming election day and, to reassure voters, how are you mitigating the risk of it happening?

My answer is the right to vote as a citizen is a given, the act of voting is a choice. The role of the voter is at the very foundation of our Republic.

My greatest fear is that the public would lose faith in our election process and forgo this very necessary component of maintaining our freedom.

The incredible turnout that we are seeing in early voting tells me that we have done our job in educating our public to the safety and security protocols we wrap around election workers and polling locations, efficiency of our chain of custody, and accuracy of our tabulation process.

The enthusiastic turnout demonstrates that the public still holds a strong belief and the purpose of our elections.

Zach Manifold, Elections Supervisor, Gwinnett County, Georgia

My top priority, shared by election administrators everywhere, is protecting the safety of our poll officials and voters.

We’ve enhanced our poll official training to include de-escalation techniques and streamlined emergency response measures, such as rapid notifications via text and a panic button app.

Working closely with our local law enforcement partners, we’ve also developed a comprehensive safety plan, so we feel prepared and ready for Election Day.

Anthony G. Forlini, Macomb County Clerk, Michigan

In the last four years we have taken many steps to ensure the security and integrity of our elections.

The Clerk’s Office is the only Michigan county to do a forensic audit of the election server following the 2020 elections and launched the first-ever countywide election worker training to assist local clerks and standardize election day workers’ competency.

In addition, we were the first county in the state to remove the modems from the tabulators that were not federally certified.

Our elections server room now requires double security. Every tabulator has always had the ability to scan and retain the image as well as show the scoring of the ballot—we are one of the few counties to turn that function on. Transparency is paramount in our office.

The latest step was to add watermarks to all ballots for the November election. When held up to light, the ballot reveals the watermark: “Official Ballot.” The security of the watermark comes from it being embedded into the fibers of the ballot paper during the milling process, as opposed to it simply being printed onto the paper.

My biggest fear is the other areas that are not within our control. We have taken great strides in getting the word out to local groups and our residents. Our extensive outreach with presentations, videos, billboards and social media is helping restore the confidence in our elections. Education is a top priority.

Patrick W. Moynihan, Jr., Brown County Clerk, Wisconsin

To best answer, I harken back to FDR’s inaugural address when he stated, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

Brown County’s 25 municipal clerks and Brown County Clerk’s Office staff are well trained, experienced and at the ready for the general election.

However, we all must be vigilant ensuring the voting process is fluid and transparent for all, but also keeping a keen eye on all activity at the polling locations, municipal clerk offices, and this office to ensure no interruptions occur which could affect the voting experience for our citizens.