SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A recent survey by NYU’S Brennan Center for Justice shows that nearly 40% of local election officials reported experiencing some kind of threat or harassment.


What You Need To Know

  • A new bill that’s making its way through the state legislature would allow election workers to file a civil lawsuit against someone who threatens or intimidates them

  • The Brennan Center for Justice is sponsoring AB 2642 by Assemblyman Marc Berman

  • While there are already laws in place that prohibit voter and election worker intimidation, there isn’t one in the books that would allow anyone who feels threatened or intimidated to seek monetary compensation

  • AB 2642 has passed several committees with democrats supporting the legislation and republicans like Assemblywoman Diane Dixon voting no

“Over the last four years we have seen a mass exodus of people leaving their jobs as election officials and these are really critical people who run our elections and keep them safe and keep them secure,” said Allison Anderman, an attorney with the Brennan Center for Justice.

A new bill that’s making its way through the state legislature would allow election workers to file a civil lawsuit against someone who threatens or intimidates them. The Brennan Center for Justice is sponsoring AB 2642 by Assemblyman Marc Berman. 

“It explicitly adds election officials as a category of protected individuals and allows election officials and other people who’ve experienced intimidation in the process of voting or administrating an election to be able to sue for damages,” Anderman explained.

While there are already laws in place that prohibit voter and election worker intimidation, there isn’t one in the books that would allow anyone who feels threatened or intimidated to seek monetary compensation.

“We’re hoping this law will have even more of a deterrent effect against this kind of behavior because it will really hit people in their pocketbook,” Anderman added.

The bill also has a component that states anyone who openly carries a gun while engaging in any type of election related activity is doing so for the purpose of intimidation.

AB 2642 has passed several committees with democrats supporting the legislation and republicans like Assemblywoman Diane Dixon voting no.

“I’m comfortable with current law and that our elections are handled correctly and fairly and judiciously. On an overall basis, we have too many bills — too many laws — and this was an opportunity to stay with existing law that’s working perfectly well,” Dixon notes.

According to research by the Bipartisan Policy Center, election officials are leaving their jobs at the highest rates in decades.

Former Orange County Registrar Neal Kelley is among those who’ve left such positions in recent years. Kelley notes his job changed toward the end of his career when Orange County flipped from red to blue.

“That really unnerved a lot of folks because Orange County for years was Republican-dominated, and I started getting veiled threats and concerns about the process,” Kelley said.

Kelley left his job in 2022 after spending twenty years leading Orange County’s election system for twenty years.

At a recent committee hearing at the State Capitol for AB 2642, he shared some of the threats he received after former President Trump lost the 2020 election.

“If you certify this election, there will be blood on the ballots, blood on you, etc. It was unnerving,” Kelley said during his testimony.

Kelley says bills like AB 2642 are important to keep those on the front lines of our democracy free from harassment and intimidation.

“I was a victim of that in 2020 and I believe this is an important thing that we do to protect those that are counting the ballots and running elections.”

The bill has two more hurdles to clear before it can reach Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. If signed by the governor, it will go into effect immediately. So far, it has no registered opposition.