As concerns about election-related violence grow, poll workers and election officials in Minnesota have some new legal protections. Last year, the Minnesota Legislature passed a measure banning intimidation of election workers and interfering with the voting process.

In testimony before a Minnesota House committee early last year, Minnesota’s top elections official, Secretary of State Steve Simon, described several incidents of harassment targeting election workers in different counties. The DFLer, who did not disclose details of the incidents, said someone followed a staffer to his vehicle after hours and, in another case, an election worker received harassing phone calls.

“Yet a third person told me that he was personally approached physically by a voter in his office. “It was so bad that they had to pull the panic alarm and have the sheriff’s office, which luckily was in that building, come and intervene.”

While such problems are rare in Minnesota, harassment of poll workers and attempts to disrupt the voting process have made headlines elsewhere. In Georgia, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss faced death threats after Rudy Giuliani spread lies about rigging the 2020 election against Donald Trump. A federal jury awarded the mother and daughter $148 million, and a judge ordered the former New York mayor to surrender a luxury apartment and other belongings.

“When you tell a big lie about a stolen election, you need a villain,” said Rep. Emma Greenman, DFL-Minneapolis, a voting rights attorney.

Far from being bad guys, Greenman said election workers are public servants doing work vital to democracy and the law should protect them.

Greenman drafted a measure that was later adopted as a larger bill and signed by Governor Tim Walz; This law prohibits threatening and harassing election workers through methods such as disseminating their personal information. The law also explicitly prohibits tampering with ballot drop boxes, voting equipment and voter registration systems, Greenman says.

The measure protects all poll workers regardless of party affiliation. Minnesota state law has long required a balance between Republicans and Democrats among the 30,000 election judges and absentee ballot review boards who will be on duty Tuesday.

Criminal violation of the law is a gross misdemeanor that can result in up to one year in prison. The measure also allows public officials to file civil lawsuits to prevent ongoing or potential violations.

“If both the voters and the people around the polls are doing what they’re supposed to do, this shouldn’t change their experience at all,” Greenman said. “What it needs to do is provide a layer of comfort and security that Minnesota law enforcement, and frankly Minnesota lawmakers, have their back.”

Greenman said that’s an important message to send to poll workers. An informal 2023 survey by the Minnesota County Clerks Association found that some election officials were concerned about security, and a dozen respondents said they had removed a county election judge for dereliction of duty and tampering with machines.

But statewide election officials who spoke to MPR News are not reporting a mass exodus of poll workers. Jory Danielson, director of administrative services in central Minnesota’s Crow Wing County, said last week that staffing levels were down only slightly from 2022, but every precinct will be fully staffed on Election Day.

“A lot of these people have been doing this for years. And they’re doing a great job of it. They’re trying to help voters and help them through the democratic and voting process,” he said.

Among the regulars is 92-year-old Helen Burgstaler, who has served as an election judge in the district since 1950, Danielson said.

Officials in Moorhead and Stearns County also reported adequate numbers of poll workers. Katie Smith, director of Elections and Voter Services in Minneapolis, said more than 2,000 positions have been filled and no one has resigned due to safety concerns.

Smith said the training sessions include a section on conflict de-escalation and that the new poll worker protection law provides peace of mind.

“This really validates our commitment that we need to make sure our judges are safe, our voters are safe, and everyone in Minnesota has access to the ballot box,” he said.

Smith emphasized that most of the questions he poses to poll workers are not about security, but instead about ensuring they are properly following procedures for setting up equipment, checking in voters and processing ballots.