Election workers face turmoil after Donald Trump planted distrust in the system

Election workers face threats and intimidation days before one of the tightest elections in US history. The Republican false claim of fraud in 2020 changed their work forever.

Media reports have quoted workers concerned about the violence that could erupt if Donald Trump loses the 2024 election. USA Today and MSNBC said threats are incredibly crude in swing states.

El País and AP News also named cases of poll workers and election officials who have resigned or been forced out due to the pressure Mr. Trump is placing on electoral counties.

For weeks, the Republican candidate has shown his intention to challenge the 2024 results if he loses. It can work; an AP-NORC poll showed that most GOP voters are more likely to trust him than certified elections.

Many bipartisan officials, judges, and experts have clarified that there is no evidence of a widespread effort to undermine the 2020 elections. Fraud cases are sporadic and do not define elections.

Still, the 2020 "steal" idea has moved from the fringes to the party's center. Two-thirds of Republicans believe Mr. Trump's version of the results, while only half believe the official count.

Mr. Trump has worked for four years to embed the election steal notion in every aspect of his 2024 campaign. He has widely spread the myth that Democrats will push for non-citizens to vote.

PBS explained that many of his election officials have spread the myth, some have even litigated the issue, and some House members tried to pass a law requiring proof of citizenship to vote.

The efforts have also moved to grassroots organizations working on electoral policy based on wild 2020 conspiracy theories. CNN said a small group can present thousands of voter challenges and overwhelm workers.

The grassroots groups are tied to the Trump campaign's "election integrity" platform. The Wall Street Journal said a group of donors had invested millions in efforts to change electors and laws and look for names they consider challengeable in the roles.

According to The Guardian, the Republican National Convention has more than 100,000 volunteer poll observers ready for the 2024 election. Many of them might not believe in the system.

A Republican-appointed member of a Georgia county election board placed a lawsuit saying she was allowed to refuse to certify results. A county judge rejected the claim.

Board members have to certify the election results. Loyal Trump board members wanted to be able to challenge the results based on the need for more information without specifying instances.

A court also stopped another rule by the Republican-appointed state board that would have forced poll workers to hand-count the number of ballots. The judge argued it was approved to close to election day.