the.com/election officials
the referees who ensure your vote counts, then get accused of rigging by whoever loses.
means the local government workers who register voters, run polling places, and count ballots — mostly your neighbors, not a shadowy cabal.
from the role dates to the earliest republics, but the modern american version is a patchwork of county clerks and volunteers built after 1800s election fraud scandals demanded formal oversight.
turnover crisisnearly half left the job since 2020.
paymany earn less than fast-food managers.
death threatsreported by one in six officials, per 2023 survey.
average ageskews toward retirees, often over 60.