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Failure to Address Gaps in Poll Worker Policy Could Undermine Elections

Washington, DC – Today, the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Elections Project published their latest report, Fortifying Election Security Through Poll Worker Policy. The report unveils a first of its kind 50-state and DC dataset on current temporary election worker policy, highlighting the litany of protections in place and the gaps that remain.  

“The risk of temporary election workers interfering with voting and counting in the name of rooting out fraud is real,” said Rachel Orey, associate director of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Elections Project. “But so are the safeguards in place to ensure that temporary election workers remain trustworthy and accountable, as they have been for much of American history.” 

The report shows that Americans have more reasons to trust the process than to doubt it: 

  • Forty-two states and DC require training for temporary election workers 
  • Forty states and DC require election workers to take an oath before beginning their duties in an election office 
  • Forty-seven states strive for partisan balance in the makeup of temporary election workers, which helps ensure bipartisan involvement in all steps of the election process. 

We will be holding a reporter roundtable today at 11:00 am ET to discuss the report with the authors and members of the BPC Task Force on Elections. The conversation will include a dialogue about insider threats, election security, and temporary election worker policy. 

Read the full report here. 

For questions or to speak to Rachel Orey, please contact Senior Manager of Media Relations Kyle Fischer. 

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