En respuesta al aumento de las amenazas contra los trabajadores electorales después de las elecciones de 2020, los legisladores de Oregón aprobaron en sesión una medida que les otorga mayores protecciones.

El Proyecto de Ley 4144 aumenta las sanciones por acosar a los trabajadores electorales y protege su información personal.

Chris Walker es la secretaria del condado de Jackson, a cargo de las elecciones en este condado. Ella dice que las elecciones siempre son tensas, especialmente las elecciones presidenciales, ya que aproximadamente la mitad de la población se sentirá decepcionada.

"Lo que no habíamos experimentado hasta las elecciones de 2020 es la cantidad de ira dirigida hacia los funcionarios electorales," dice Walker, "eso fue un nuevo territorio para nosotros."

Walker ha sido testigo de amenazas ella misma. En las semanas posteriores a las elecciones de 2020, se encontró pintado en el estacionamiento de cerca de su oficina electoral en Medford, un grafiti que decía "votar no funciona" y "la próxima vez serán balas".

Con la medida, la pena máxima por hostigar a un trabajador electoral es castigado con 364 días de prisión y una multa de 6,250 dólares.

El proyecto de ley surge a petición de la Secretaria de Estado Shemia Fagan. En una encuesta de los trabajadores de la División de Elecciones de Oregón, Fagan encontró que 10 de las 13 personas que respondieron habían sufrido amenazas o acoso.

Ben Morris, director de comunicaciones de la oficina del Secretario de Estado, dice que esta medida refuerza lo que ya son unas elecciones bien organizadas.

"Es un mensaje muy claro para las personas que intenten interferir," asegura Morris, "que las amenazas y el acoso dirigidos a los trabajadores electorales serán sancionados - pero esas acciones no cambiaran el resultado de la elección."

Walker dice que la gente ha estado reaccionando con ira ante la desinformación, especialmente en las redes sociales. Ella quiere que la gente piense en su secretario de condado como una fuente de información certera.

Y agrega que los trabajadores electorales seguirán haciendo su trabajo sin importar la situación.

"La gran parte de los funcionarios electorales, secretarios del condado: somos muy resilientes, enfatiza Walker. "Vamos a hacer nuestro trabajo y no vamos a vivir nuestra vida con miedo."

Algunos otros estados, incluido Washington, también han considerado mayores protecciones para los trabajadores electorales este año.




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North Dakota's June 11 primary is inching closer and those running for legislative seats are trying to win over voters, including Native American candidates who are part of a movement energized by newly drawn political boundaries.

The organization North Dakota Native Vote said there are seven candidates with Indigenous roots seeking spots in the Legislature. Most are running in District 9, which was recently updated to reflect representation needs for two Native American tribes.

Natasha Gourd, a board member of North Dakota Native Vote, described them as a good mixture of candidates coming from both reservations in the area, with some running as Democrats and others as Republicans.

"We've seen an upturn in participation and just getting leadership development through Native candidates," Gourd observed.

The election wave comes after the state saw 10 Native candidates in legislative races two years ago. For her group, Gourd acknowledged the boost can be tricky because they cannot endorse everyone running. But she noted having greater assurances the areas will be represented by people from their community -- no matter if they have a different stance on certain issues -- is still a positive.

Gourd added trying to build on the momentum is also important for off-reservation districts.

"What they do at the state level, regardless of Native American people in North Dakota (being part of) federally recognized tribes, it does affect us," Gourd pointed out. "Most Natives in North Dakota do live off the reservation, so it does affect our populations."

Gourd stressed they need more Native voices at the state level speaking out about priorities within education, the housing crisis, energy issues and health care. She hopes the positive trends they're seeing inspire more civic participation among other racial and ethnic groups trying to get a seat at the policy table in North Dakota.

A new poll finds a near 20-year low in the number of voters who say they have a high interest in the 2024 election, with a majority saying they hold negative views of both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. A group of Arizona elections officials and experts recently gathered to discuss the growing discontent with the state's current electoral landscape.

Stephen Richer, Maricopa County Recorder, said that if politicians are what he calls "single-minded seekers of re-election," he contends the state should change the political incentive structure.

"And if those incentives will change, then maybe we will be talking about more things in the Arizona Voter's Agenda and less things that are currently right now incentivized by what I still believe to be a minority, but a very passionate, very loud, and a minority that is definitely committed to acting on those issues," he said.

Richer added it is important to remember that despite Independent and unaffiliated voters being able to participate in the July 30th statewide primary, they were excluded from the state's March Presidential Preference Election, and that has caught the eye of some in the state. The bipartisan group Make Elections Fair Arizona is pushing for open primaries, but proponents of closed primaries believe they're crucial to maintaining the integrity of party ideals.

Amanda Burke, executive vice president with the non-partisan, nonprofit organization Center for the Future of Arizona, said more than half of unaffiliated voters do not feel they have leaders or candidates running who speak to the issues and causes they care about. She contends that then translates to who decides to show up at the ballot box and vote, and encourages Arizonans to imagine a different primary system if they want different outcomes.

"Otherwise we are going to continue to have some more outcomes in terms of people who are incentivized to speak to a small percentage of their base on either side who are really not representative of the larger views," she explained.

The Grand Canyon State allows voter-initiated amendments to the state constitution, but the Arizona Require Partisan Primary Elections Amendment would add the state's current primary practice to the state constitution, prohibiting future changes without another constitutional amendment. Make Elections Fair Arizona is still collecting signatures to get its measure on the November ballot.


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Wisconsin women have made progress in closing gaps when it comes to being elected to public office.

But some voices worry the movement might slow down as candidates see increasing levels of threats and harassment.

The Brennan Center for Justice recently issued findings that detail the threatening behavior those in the political arena are experiencing now.

Women were three to four times as likely as men to experience abuse targeting their gender.

Erin Vilardi, CEO and founder of the advocacy and assistance group Vote Run Lead, said this creates more unfairness in areas such as resource planning for a campaign.

"We see women candidates and incumbents right now having to pay for security," said Vilardi, "having to put in their budgets, in their campaign funds, in their line-items for their campaigns a security detail."

And Vilardi said because of the worsening climate, the threats are extending to almost all other candidates, including conservative white men.

She and other researchers called on party leaders to strongly condemn political violence. They also recommend that each state implement stronger protection for officeholders.

Vilardi said it's not just women candidates and incumbents having to deal with this behavior. Women working as top aides and political journalists are subject to more hateful rhetoric these days.

"This is something that permeates women in politics," said Vilardi, "not just for the folks that are stepping up to lead but for the ecosystem of women around them."

And if more women decide not to run or seek re-election as a result, Vilardi said this means there will be fewer opportunities for gender equality in leadership positions in state legislatures and Congress.

She urged constituents to send messages of support to women officeholders as they weigh these challenges and their political futures.

Support for this reporting was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.



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