‘[A]cross the country this midterm year, local officials say they’re hearing from voters confused by the process — and worried about potential federal interference in the election. …
‘”‘How is this going to work? How are you going to make sure my ballot is counted? How am I going to get my ballot?’ — I’m hearing all of these things,” said Carly Koppes, a local Republican voting official in Weld County, Colo.
‘When asked how this cycle compares to previous elections she’s overseen, Koppes didn’t hesitate.
‘”This is my 22nd year [running elections],” she said. “Absolutely, this is the most uncertain.” …
‘In response, voting officials say they’re trying to thread the needle of engaging with voters about their fears, while at the same time reassuring them that laws are in place that protect them, and that officials have game-planned for various scenarios.
‘”From time to time, it’s appropriate to sound the alarm, but you don’t want to be alarmist,” Steve Simon, Minnesota’s Democratic secretary of state, said at that same CEIR event. “That’s the balance we’re trying to strike.” …
‘”Despite the fact that there’s a lot of distrust out there, both sides still see elections as winnable,” Brendan Nyhan, a Dartmouth College political scientist who researches the health of U.S. democracy, said during the same briefing.
‘It’s even possible that turnout for this year’s midterms could be higher than normal due to voters’ worries. In some cases, threats to people’s ability to cast a ballot can spur higher turnout, as different communities and political groups rally to mobilize in response.
‘”It’s possible that on net the effect is zero or even positive,” Nyhan said. “But that doesn’t mean it’s healthy for democracy for people to fear that they will be disenfranchised.”
‘Because even if people push through their concerns to vote, Nyhan said, for a democracy to function, people also have to trust the results after elections are completed.’
