Two dozen current and former election officials urge Congress to pass anti-doxxing legislation ahead of 2024 election

In a new letter sent to the leadership of the Senate Rules and House Administration Committees today, nearly two dozen current and former election officials from Issue One’s Faces of Democracy campaign called on Congress to protect election workers from mounting threats nationwide by passing anti-doxxing measures now in advance of the 2024 election.

“Election workers at the local and state level have been subjected to threats and harassment to an unprecedented degree since 2020. Many of us have received death threats, had our homes swatted, and our private information leaked to spread fear, all because we are simply doing our jobs and keeping American democracy running,” the letter states.

Officials joining the letter include Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore, and Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates, among others.

Since 2020, doxxing and threats to election officials have dramatically increased, putting Americans’ friends and neighbors at risk for simply doing their job. Threats to election officials have already started to proliferate in 2024, which is why officials are today urging Congress to act swiftly by passing anti-doxxing legislation. Current federal law does not extend doxxing protections to election officials.

“We have to protect the people who operate our elections,” said Nick Penniman, CEO of Issue One. “Sure: Election workers are resilient. They’re hard-wired to deal with pressure, stress and deadlines. But they should never have to deal with death threats and intimidation. Both they and our democracy are harmed when that happens. Congress has an opportunity to protect election officials — the very people who process votes for members of Congress. Failure to do so will send the wrong signal at exactly the wrong time to potential perpetrators of violence.”

There is broad public, bipartisan support for Congress to extend doxxing protections to election officials. According to a recent Issue One poll conducted last year, 77% of Republicans and 76% of Democrats and independents believe that sensitive information, such as home addresses and license plate numbers, should be protected from public disclosure. Americans want themselves, and their friends and neighbors, to be protected from political violence. The onus is on Congress to ensure that happens.

Read the full letter.