'The High Cost of High Turnover'

This Week in Democracy

• Judge?Tanya Chutkan?denied ?former?President Trump’s?effort to have her recuse herself from overseeing the federal election interference case against him.?The trial is scheduled to begin on March 4, 2024.???READ:?The federal charges, explained

• At?John Eastman’s?disciplinary trial in California, a witness for Eastman?testified ?that former Vice President?Mike Pence?had?no basis to stop counting or reject electoral votes?on Jan. 6, 2021. The witness also said he declined requests from the Trump campaign to get involved in election challenges because he thought?President Biden won “fair and square.”???READ:?States United’s backgrounder on the trial

• Biden said the “sacred task of our time” is to?make sure democracy thrives . At a speech in Arizona honoring the late Sen.?John McCain,?he spoke in support of free and fair elections and against political violence.?“Democracy is not a partisan issue,”?he said.
• Trump said he?wouldn’t try ?to have the election interference case against him in Georgia?moved to federal court.?A federal judge on Friday?rejected a similar request ?from one of Trump’s co-defendants,?Jeffrey Clark. ???READ:?The Georgia charges, explained

'The High Cost of High Turnover'

Election officials across the country have faced?threats and harassment ?since 2020, along with?other attempts ?to?make their jobs more difficult . It’s the predictable and dangerous result of repeated lies pushed by Election Deniers. Some election officials have left their jobs, taking years of experience with them.?

A?new report by our partners at Issue One ?finds that the turnover rate is far higher than earlier estimates. In 11 Western states, more than 160 chief election officials, representing half the combined population of those states, have left their jobs since November 2020. Many have cited the climate of threats and harassment.?

As the report explains, election administration is complex work. It requires expertise on voting systems, ballot-counting, and security threats. When experienced officials leave and elections function less smoothly, it’s a?problem for all voters , regardless of politics.?

The report called on lawmakers to strengthen protections for election officials and fully fund election infrastructure—stepping up for the people who make our democracy work.

State of the States

In Georgia,?a judge?took steps to protect ?the identities of the jurors who will hear the election interference trials of former President Trump and 18 co-defendants. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee ordered that reporters, defendants, and court observers may not record, photograph, or otherwise identify the jurors. District Attorney Fani Willis?asked for the protections earlier this month out of concerns for their personal safety. After the 19 defendants were?indicted last month , Georgia law enforcement authorities said they were?investigating threats ?against the grand jurors who issued the indictment.

In The News

• News from the States:?Anti-democratic moves by state lawmakers raise fears for 2024 election “We should call this what it is: an effort to lay the groundwork to subvert the will of the voters in future elections,” said?Joanna Lydgate,?the CEO of the pro-democracy group?States United Action.?“While the focus is often on the national picture, our elections are run by the states. That means we need to keep shining a light on state-level efforts that undermine our democracy. It’s the only way to shut it down.”

• The Independent:?How the Post Office could decide the presidency in 2024 “Ultimately, attempts to limit mail-in voting are just attempts to limit voting. But voters need to pay attention, because the decisions being made today in the states will determine how the 2024 election is run,”?[Lydgate]?told?The Independent. ?

• The Washington Post:?N.Y. judge finds Trump committed fraud and sanctions his attorneys ?

• The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:?Georgia senator who called for Fulton DA probe suspended from GOP caucus ?

• Wisconsin Public Radio:?Legislation to protect election workers moves forward at Wisconsin Capitol ?

• The Arizona Republic:?A ‘dire’ situation: Report finds Arizona hit hard by turnover of election officials ?

• AP:?Kari Lake, prominent Trump supporter and election denier, will launch US Senate campaign in Arizona

• NPR:?Supreme Court rejects Alabama’s defiance in voting case

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