Election officials fulfill their civic duty despite intensified rhetoric

Tonia Clark does not tolerate bad behavior.

The Allegheny Township resident pays special attention to the motto when he works twice a year as a municipal election worker.

“If someone comes in and is mean to us or insults us, I won’t stand for it,” said Clark, who serves as an elections judge at the polling place at the township municipal building.

“I tell them, ‘Calm down.’ And if they don’t, I’ll just call the police.

Clark is one of thousands of residents who are fulfilling a civic duty by helping others exercise their right to vote.

The work is not always easy.

In recent years, a surge in harassment and intimidation has accompanied campaigns for high-level offices, such as president of the United States, to neighborhood elections, such as borough council.

A 2023 survey of election officials across the country found that 38% reported experiencing threats, harassment or abuse, according to NBC News.

The survey conducted by the nonprofit Brennan Center for Justice also found that more than half of respondents were concerned about the safety of their colleagues.

The numbers for threats, harassment and interference remain unacceptably high, but election officials are not remaining passive in the face of this hostile environment, said Lawrence Norden, senior director of elections and government at the Brennan Center.

Andrew Pallus, Leechburg resident and vice president of the Leechburg Area School Board, began working on elections at age 18 because of his growing passion for local politics.

He recalled some stormy situations in 2020 which still mark him.

“Someone was destroying a political candidate’s sign less than 100 meters from the polling station,” he said.

“We also had a voter going into the poll and speaking very loudly for one political candidate and the same voter speaking very loudly against the other candidate. »

In each case, election officials intervened and, with the help of the constable, were able to resolve the disturbance without escalation.

At the local level, police have responded to scuffles at polling places in recent years, although rarely.

In 2022, a Castle Shannon man caused a disturbance at the borough library where people were trying to vote. He was accused of harassing poll workers, yelling at them and filming voters. His erratic behavior caused a temporary halt to voting.

In 2020, a stampede occurred at the Allderdice High School voting site in Pittsburgh after a man allegedly shouted obscenities at passersby before entering the building. Pittsburgh Public Schools and city police were called in to break up the clashes.

Westmoreland County Elections Director Greg McCloskey said he only remembers two disruptions at election locations in recent years. Both were placated by election officials.

McCloskey said he believes increased friction, especially during a presidential election cycle, has actually helped attract poll workers rather than drive them away.

“It’s the opposite, because many more people want to participate in elections,” he said.

“They are proud of the work they do and want voters to see that they are running a fair and secure election.”

In Westmoreland, there is already a full contingent of more than 1,700 poll workers, as well as a waiting list. The workers are generally older, McCloskey said, “simply because there are more older residents in Westmoreland County.”

Abigail Gardner, a spokeswoman for Allegheny County, said its list of poll workers is 99% full for the Nov. 5 general election.

The county has recruited more than 6,800 workers for its 900 polling places.

“My understanding is that in presidential years it’s easier to fill than in off years,” Gardner said. The county also had a full complement of poll workers for the May primary.

“Filling positions this year hasn’t been difficult,” Gardner said. “In fact, we stopped advertising well ahead of schedule because many people expressed interest months before Election Day. »

She said about three-quarters of poll workers return run after run. And they include a wide range of volunteers of all ages, including high school students.

Paid training for new poll workers covers de-escalation tactics, Gardner said.

Poll workers in Allegheny County earn at least $150 per day, which lasts about 15 hours. In Westmoreland, pay starts at $175.

Pay is higher for election judges because they are responsible for verifying and reporting results to the county seat.

Hannah Patterson, 26, from Vandergrift, said her family nurtured her interest in politics from a young age. They organized election nights to watch the results.

During the pandemic, she saw a Facebook post asking for poll workers and didn’t hesitate.

“They desperately needed people to work because many were uncomfortable because of covid,” Patterson said. “I was the youngest worker there – I was in my final year at university – and I had a great experience talking to older workers.”

Patterson said she worked the polls twice in 2020 and both were peaceful shifts.

“I remember someone being defensive about the way we were asking for his ID, but I didn’t really understand why he was angry about it,” she said. “Overall it was a positive experience.”

Similarly, Harrison resident Patty Babinsack doesn’t remember any serious problems in the 30 years she’s worked elections in Natrona.

“The people are very friendly and a lot of them are older,” she said. “It is ordered.

“One time, someone wanted to vote in the primary, but he couldn’t because he was a registered independent. It made a little noise, but it didn’t get out of hand.

Babinsack has held a variety of positions, from poll worker to inspector to her current role as election constable. When she was first recruited by former Police Chief Ziggy Walkiewicz, Natrona’s polling place was in the now-defunct fire station on River Avenue. It moved from the original site of St. Joseph High School, then to St. Mathias and finally to the Knights of Columbus.

“It’s a serious thing to do to help people vote,” Babinsack said.

“Someone has to do it, so why not me?”