High Turnover, Hostility, Conspiracy Theories Plague Local Election Offices since 2020

Mismanagement and Inexperience Magnify Challenges, a Wave of Resignations Leave a Void in Institutional Knowledge Amid Persistent Falsehoods About Election Integrity

• - Since the 2020 presidential election, numerous local election offices across the U.S. have dealt with high staff turnover, inexperience, and hostility, with Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, exemplifying these challenges. A significant mistake during 2022 midterm elections, involving the use of incorrect paper for ballots, heightened public distrust and led to a congressional hearing.
• - There has been a marked exodus of local election directors and their staff after the 2020 elections, leading to a vacuum of institutional knowledge across the country. This widespread inexperience is considered risky, as minor errors related to voting or ballot counting can be manipulated by conspiracy theorists into allegations of vote subversion.
• - In Pennsylvania, it is estimated that 40 out of the 67 county election offices have new directors or deputy directors since the 2020 election. The situation is similar in other swing states like Nevada and Arizona, where many counties will see their election directors handling their first presidential elections in 2024.
• - Luzerne County, specifically, has seen five different election directors since the 2020 presidential election. Incidents like 'papergate', where the wrong type of paper was used for printed ballots, have magnified the public's already present doubts about the integrity of the electoral process.
• - Steps are being taken to improve the situation, like increasing training materials and fostering relationships among local election officials. Luzerne County has hired a new county manager who's brought in a consultant to create an election manual, aiming to mitigate confusion if an employee leaves. The county is also making more concerted efforts to be transparent and proactive in its preparation and handling of elections.

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