Election Officials on the Threats They've Faced Since 2020
Ask students: Where are the poll workers experiencing threats? When did the threats start, according to this piece? How are election workers dealing with the threats?
Warning: This lesson is intended for high school students. The video contains threatening language and bleeped out curse words directed towards election poll workers.
With a little more than two weeks until Election Day, some parts of the country are still looking for people to work at polling places. One reason could be the threats and harassment that’s been aimed at election officials since the false claims that the 2020 election was stolen.
Current and former election officials from across the country have been the targets of vitriol-filled phone calls, murderous threats and even stalking. “It’s not something that any election official signs up for,” said Tina Barton, a former city clerk in Michigan. “There has been a dehumanization of those in the elections world.”
The story was produced by PBS News' partners at Arizona State University's @news21, a student journalism organization.
View the transcript here.
Discussion Questions
- Who are the individuals featured in this story?
- What is the main problem poll workers are facing?
- Where are the poll workers experiencing threats?
- When did the threats start, according to this piece?
- How are election workers dealing with the threats?
Focus Questions
- Why is threatening poll workers counter to what democracy means?
- What do you think should authorities should do in order to ensure poll workers' safety?
- Media literacy: Why do you think News Hour chose to include the violent threats towards election workers in the story rather than have the reporters describe the threats? Was this the right decision, in your mind?
Addressing Threats to Democracy
Using the challenges to democracy in recent years as a teachable moment, we created resources to help students reflect on threats to democratic principles and explore topics such as media literacy, civil discourse, voter suppression, and misinformation.
2024 Election Lesson Plans and Resources
Explore our election resources to engage your students in learning about the election process and its significance at every level. Discover lessons on election fundamentals, laws, security, current events, youth involvement, and historic U.S. elections.
Republished with permission from PBS NewsHour Classroom.
PBS News Hour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories. The site combines the best of News Hour's reliable, trustworthy news program with lesson plans developed specifically for... See More
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