How Safe Are US Voting Locations? Election Workers Face Threats

Melissa Kono has been training election workers in Wisconsin for a decade.

The election town clerk in Burnside said her approach used to center on ensuring workers understood election rules, such as photo ID requirements and voter eligibility. But in recent years, she says the focus has shifted to helping election workers deal with threats, including determining what may constitute a real threat and how to de-escalate situations.

"They're very, very concerned" about receiving threats in polling locations, Kono told Newsweek. "I do think that some people are afraid."

She began providing workers with information about how to deal with emergencies in the polling place—things like extreme weather or fires—about five years ago, she said.

"Now, one slide in my PowerPoint is how to deal with general emergencies, and there's a section on dealing with threats," she said. Most of the questions she is asked during training sessions are about dealing with conflict and responding to voters complaining about fraud.