Georgia Poll Workers Protect Election Integrity
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Despite threats and intimidation, patriotic Georgians are stepping up to ensure secure, honest elections.
In recent years, election workers have faced an unprecedented deluge of threats of violence and verbal abuse. A study last year by the Brennan Center found that 1 in 6 poll workers said they’ve been threatened because of their jobs. These threats, frequently personal attacks against both poll workers and their families, have caused poll workers to quit in droves because they feel unsafe in their job.
Despite these threats, many honest Georgia poll workers continue serving their communities and administering local elections to support democracy across the state. They strongly believe in protecting democracy and know that our elections run best when locals are running them.
Angela Wingfield, a poll manager at a local elementary school in Buford, encourages citizens concerned about election integrity to be part of the election process. She says voters have complained to her about past election results. She tells them to work the polls so they can see how it really works.
“It does bother me...You can moan and groan all you want, but unless you’re in the game, you really don’t know how it works,” she said. “Trust me, there's no dead people voting,” she added, referring to a disproven claim made by some Republicans. “If I saw a dead person voting, I’d call the ghostbusters,” added Wingfield, laughing.
Zach Manifold at a polling place.
Zach Manifold, an elections supervisor in Gwinnett county, echoed her sentiment. In reality, numerous guardrails and safety measures prevent dead people from voting and other types of fraud.
He believes that anyone who volunteers as a poll worker will be able to see for themselves the careful work that goes into ensuring fair and honest elections in Georgia.