Across the country, local election officials have been preparing for millions of Americans to take to the polls on November 3rd. As control for Congress hangs in the balance, this year’s midterm elections take place under a cloud of threats, intimidation, and concern about integrity.

And it’s not just about keeping voters safe; poll workers have expressed uncertainty about their own personal safety as political rhetoric over the voting process has gotten more heated.  More than half of local election officials who responded to a 2026 Brennan Center survey are concerned about the safety of their colleagues and staff.

With over 40 million ballots already cast in this midterm election, and with more on the way, election officials — many of whom have been overseeing voting and poll locations for years — are preparing their staff for every possible disruption that could occur next Tuesday.

Election officials, police and community members interviewed by MS NOW in four battleground states all share one common purpose: ensuring safety and security on Election Day. Here’s how:

Genesee County, Michigan

In a conference room in Flint, Michigan, election officials, poll workers, and police from across Genesee County came together recently to stress election safety in a one-of-a-kind “tabletop training,” organized by Sheriff Christopher Swanson.

While there are no specific or credible threats directed at these midterm elections, Swanson created this event along with a preparation playbook to run scenarios — and to ease fears.

Swanson led the police response to a deadly attack at a Church of Latter Day Saints in Grand Blanc Township just over one year ago and said he is taking lessons of preparedness from that day by coming together and creating a plan.

The group discussed every possible “what if” from natural disasters to manmade issues.

“If someone is being confrontational. We are not going to engage with them and even on the smallest level what we deal with every single election and you all know this,” said Domonique Clemons, Genesee County Court Clerk.

Swanson also said the department is on alert for hoax calls and swatting incidents and will take quick action to arrest anyone disrupting voting.  There is also a scenario focused on the transportation of ballots after polls close and clerks have a police escort when they leave the polling place to drop off ballots at a secure location.

“We need to be in communication because what we are hearing and what we are seeing across the country, it’s not just our polling locations. They are watching our movement and they might try to interfere with the elections that way in keeping things in transport from happening,” Clemons said.

Safety and security of clerks and poll workers is a personal issue, especially for Clemons.

“In the two terms of being your county clerk,” Clemons told the group, “I have received direct death threats called into our office, called into my home, we have had bomb threats to our office, I’ve had people show up to my home.”

Swanson told the poll workers he doesn’t take those threats lightly.

“I want to make this crystal clear, anybody who threatens you or your family, your workers or your volunteers we will investigate. If that happens we will hold them accountable, I promise you that.”

And the poll workers tasked with managing a fair election have a message for everyone planning to vote on Tuesday — get out and vote and know that people are watching out for you.

“We want to just make sure at the end of the night everyone goes home safe and everybody has had a chance to vote and everything is balanced like it’s supposed to be,” said Wendy Meinberg, Flushing Township’s County Clerk. “We all just want to go home safe”.

Cuyahoga County, Ohio

This purple state is home to several key races with national implications. As one of the top turnout spots in Ohio, with around 900,000 registered voters, the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections knows the process is under the microscope this year. With multiple ways for people to cast their votes, the team is working to ensure every aspect is secure. One of those ways includes a ballot drop box.

“Our ballot drop box is under 24 hour video surveillance. And to reassure people even more they can go to our website and they can actually look at the live feed,” said Mike West, who works in community outreach for the county.

“The ballot box also has special apparatus to keep people from lighting it on fire, and there’s no way to get water into it. It’s sealed. So it’s a very safe method of returning your ballot.”

Just a short drive away at the county warehouse, ballots will be delivered, stored, and secured with several layers of protection including surveillance cameras inside a fenced off area called “the vault.”

The Board of Elections also runs a “Rumor Control Center” to debunk any myths about voting.

“We are still working on dispelling myths about vote by mail ballots not being counted or provisional ballots not being counted, some people really think that we only count those ballots if it’s a close race, and nothing could be further from the truth,” said West.

Cuyahoga County also released an “Election Integrity” series online helping voters from Cleveland to Shaker Heights.

“We wanted to educate everyone about the security of elections, said Jeff Grajewski, who works with the county as an election outreach coordinator.

“We want to make sure that everyone is able to get something at their fingertips. We want to spell it out for you. We want to put it out there visually.”

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

With several key races in the Keystone state, combined with a history of close and tense elections, there is a focus here on the evolving security landscape. The Allegheny County Elections Division typically records some of the largest voter turnout in the state of Pennsylvania and they make sure to staff up for the day.

“On Election Day in Allegheny County, we will have approximately 6,700 poll workers. This is our Super Bowl.” said Jessica Garofolo, Director of Administrative Services.

Allegheny County is the second largest county in the state of Pennsylvania with approximately 915,000 registered voters. As people across the country have expressed concerns over safety on election day, Garofolo and the elections division have planned for many possible scenarios.

“We have had to pivot from simply worrying about physical security on Election Day to worrying about cybersecurity and making sure we have firewalls in place to prevent any type of attack. We also still have to maintain physical security.”

Most importantly, Garofolo says, it’s a team effort. From local police departments to the state house, everyone is involved with the process.

“We work with national partners and state partners, to make sure we’re doing all we can do to protect the vote, protect the voters, protect our poll workers, and protect our staff.

“Our number one priority for any election is to have a safe, secure, free, and fair election,” said Garofolo.

Apache Junction, Arizona

Just outside of Phoenix, Arizona in the shadows of the Superstition Mountains, community leaders are leaving nothing to chance on Election Day. From threats to lawsuits to protests, Arizona has been center stage with election drama for years — but there is a firm line being drawn here in Apache Junction.

Police Chief Michael Pooley says while there are no specific or credible threats, the department has a safety strategy in place and there is one role his officers will not be filling on Election Day.

“Our job is not to be at the polls verifying voter registration, ID, that’s not our job. Our job is to make sure you feel safe to go to the polling sites to drop off your ballot and to do your job as a citizen to vote and to be able to do it securely,” said Pooley.

Pooley says new technology to assist the department will debut on Tuesday, which includes software that connects streams of information — 911 calls, body cam video, crime reports —  into a real time dashboard for their first responders. That dashboard, should it even be required, will help police find the closest officer to the location and give polling place supervisors faster information on how to address the situation in real time.

“Technology for us, it’s a force multiplier,” Pooley said. While he says there are no specific or credible threats in Apache Junction, he wants to ensure every possible scenario is covered and his jurisdiction is safe, adding, “We are going to be ready for whatever comes our way.”

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