Arizona leads the nation in convictions for threatening election officials, and with Election Day days away, workers across the country say they are worried about their safety.
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"I would recommend to anyone who's considering to threaten election officials, don't do it. Arizona leads the nation in convictions on threats to election officials. We take every threat seriously," said Michael Moore of the Arizona Secretary of State's Office.
The numbers back him up. Since the 2022 election, the Department of Justice has won 12 convictions for threatening election workers. Half of them involved Arizona officials.
Colorado and Michigan have two convictions each, though one of Colorado's defendants was also convicted in Arizona. Georgia and Florida have one each.
Those convicted range from 25 to 60 years old. All but one are men. The average sentence is about 30 months, though the range is wide — from 30 days to home detention.
Despite those prosecutions, most threats never become a case.
The Brennan Center surveyed election officials nationwide this year and found that 1 in 3 has been threatened, harassed, or abused because of their job. Most of it happens in person or by phone, and three-quarters of it occurs at the office. Only 6% say they have been threatened at home.
With Election Day days away, officials are worried. More than half fear for their colleagues' safety. Most of that concern involves harassment, but up to a third fear something worse — bomb threats or swatting.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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