LEBANON, Pa. — With the 2024 Presidential Election less than two months away, election offices across Pennsylvania are training poll workers and other volunteers ahead of November.
In Lebanon County, election judges recently underwent safety training to protect polling locations and workers.
“You want to hope for the best, but you want to prepare for the worst," said Sean Drasher, the elections director for Lebanon County.
Across the country, election officials are arranging safety plans for poll workers on Election Day. This comes as officials in Georgia have seen threats made against election volunteers.
The Lebanon County Board of Elections office has not dealt with any issues so far. However, Drasher says other counties across the Commonwealth have dealt with similar threats.
“Part of the problem is if you have one person that says something unfortunate, especially in the age of social media, it gets out there," said Drasher. "Maybe it’s not even a legitimate threat, but then you have other poll workers raise concerns and start second guessing [and asking] 'Should I come in?'"
Lebanon County election volunteers Jane Staver and Jill Shoemaker say they are upset to hear about threats being made against poll workers.
“It makes me very sad," said Staver. "There’s no place for political violence in our country, or at least there shouldn’t be.”
Shoemaker said she worries that threats made against poll workers will keep people and volunteers from coming to the polls on November 5.
“Myself and the people who work with me only want to serve our communities, and see that everything is done properly, legally, above board," said Shoemaker.
Drasher said that a constable will be posted at every polling location across Lebanon County. He says his office is also coordinating plans with the county's Department of Emergency Services.
Drasher said election workers are prepared for any scenario and are committed to keeping poll workers and voters safe this November.
“Anything that could happen that’s not even localized here, it could happen anywhere in the country, those are the kind of things we’re preparing for," said Drasher.