State election official says threats are increasing ahead of the midterms

In the last few weeks, state elections officials say they have seen an uptick in harassing or threatening messages. Patrick Gannon with the North Carolina State Board of Elections says it's a phenomenon they and their colleagues across the country have been dealing with since the 2020 election. 

It's bringing down morale, he says, and forcing people out of the industry. In the last two years, 44 of the 100 county elections directors have left their jobs. 

“Those weren't all related to the environment that we're in, but it had something to do with a lot of them," says Gannon. "We've also had a lot of turnover in county board offices that are not directors as well as the State Board Office.”

Gannon says so far they haven't had trouble finding replacements for people who step down, but he fears that could change. 

“I don't know what the solution is. I wish I did," says Gannon. "But I definitely see people leaving the profession. And there are people living in fear because of their job. And it should not be like that in this country.”

Gannon says he is advising county elections leaders to forward any threats directly to law enforcement.