Election Pressure: Midterms Shift Scrutiny to New States

In 2020, Tina Barton, then city clerk of Rochester Hills, Michigan, received a voicemail containing a death threat that she deserved a throat to the knife. The message claimed her office had frauded out America of a real election. The incident followed a minor error where her office mistakenly sent an unofficial absentee vote file twice on election night. The mistake did not impact the actual vote count and was corrected the following day, but it transformed Barton's professional life.

Barton now serves as vice president of the Committee for Safe and Secure Elections. She explains that in non-battleground states, human errors are easily explained in the press and rarely become major stories. In swing states, however, the same mistakes can evolve into massive conspiracy theories. This dynamic has made officials in Michigan, Georgia, and Arizona more accustomed to intense scrutiny over the last five years.

The pressure is spreading this year. Because the races determining control of the U.S. House and Senate are distributed across the country, local officials in states like Iowa, Alaska, New York, and Kansas may find themselves in the national spotlight for the first time. These areas have historically faced less competitive federal elections, meaning their clerks have had less experience managing public expectation during high-stakes votes.

Chris McGinn, executive director of the Texas Association of County Election Officials, noted in an interview with NPR earlier this year that Texas has been a reliable Republican state for nearly 50 years. This reliability meant fewer competitive elections and less pressure on voting officials. McGinn has spent recent months preparing clerks for a potential shift in status, particularly because the U.S. Senate race in Texas could decide the balance of power in that chamber. The Republican nominee for that seat sought to help President Trump overturn his 2020 election loss.

McGinn describes a prevailing mindset among Texas officials who still believe major election controversies happen elsewhere. He jokingly but realistically preaches to his members that they do not want to become Florida in 2000. This preparation is critical as the state moves from a safe seat to a potential toss-up.

Wendy Link, the supervisor of elections for Palm Beach County, Florida, reports a calmer threat environment than in the period following 2020. Her county includes part of a competitive congressional district this year. Link says her office still receives intimidating emails, which she calls love letters, threatening to send armies to arrest her or send her to Guantanamo Bay. She does not believe these messages require a security detail but acknowledges they are intended to intimidate.

Researchers who study election misinformation indicate that most false narratives emerge from real events, such as equipment failures or ballot jams. Influencers and politicians then seize on these incidents to imply intentional or widespread fraud. To prepare for this, the Committee for Safe and Secure Elections doubled the number of trainings it led compared to 2024. This increase reflects new concerns regarding the Trump administration's actions in elections and a wider definition of what constitutes a battleground state.

Barton advises officials in these newly competitive districts with a simple message. She tells them they must be on their game to handle the inevitable scrutiny that comes with close races.