The following is a statement from Verified Voting in support of federal legislation that supports the recruitment, training, and protection of election workers. For additional media inquiries, please contact aurora@newheightscommunications.com.
PHILADELPHIA (May 31, 2023) — Verified Voting urges Congress to pass provisions in the Election Worker Protection Act and Support our Election Workers Act that support and protect the election workers who help ensure our elections are administered safely and securely.
“Election workers are not only part of our critical elections infrastructure—they are our neighbors, friends and public servants on the front lines of our democracy. They continue to face threats to their safety, are retiring at an alarming rate and retention rates remain worrisomely low ahead of the next elections. Election offices are underfunded and understaffed, and they can only do as much as funding allows. The measures in the Election Worker Protection Act and Support our Election Workers Act provide needed resources to bolster the retention and protection of election workers,” said Pam Smith, president and CEO of Verified Voting.
Verified Voting supports the following measures:
- Grants for comprehensive training of poll workers to meet each voter’s individual needs;
- Grants for physical security services and social media threat monitoring for election workers;
- Training and resources to assist law enforcement agencies in detecting, deterring, and investigating threats to election workers;
- Protection of election workers’ personally identifiable information;
- Prohibitions on interference with voting or the processing, tabulating, or canvassing of ballots, or the certification of results;
- Provisions that states seeking grants develop plans to retain qualified election workers and to recruit new election workers; and
- Grants to increase pay for election workers, including election officials and poll workers, to bolster retention.
Verified Voting looks forward to continuing to work with members of Congress to support the safety and security of those administering our federal elections.
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