'Emotional trauma': Election workers still feel threatened by Trump's dangerous voter-fraud conspiracies

05 February 2021

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The 2020 presidential election may be over but workers with Fulton County Elections Department in Atlanta, Ga. are left feeling the aftermath of former President Donald Trump's dangerous spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories alleging that the presidential election was rigged.

According to NPR, Fulton County election workers "are still grappling with the emotional and psychological trauma they suffered as a result of Trump's disinformation campaign about the 2020 election, and it may have lasting consequences for recruiting and retention in the vital, but often under-appreciated field."

Although most of the conspiracy claims and threats against election workers were floated online, things took a dangerous turn for the worse when the online chaos led to "real-world dangers." On the night of the election, Trump falsely claimed he had won the state of Georgia which only made the reality of his loss more difficult for his loyal base.

Election workers have resorted to having law enforcement officials guard their homes and some have even reported hearing "strangers knocking at their front doors, and menacing voices on the other end of the phone who uttered racial slurs and promised hangings."

The publication also highlighted how Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani laid the foundation that led to threats against Shaye Moss, a temporary election worker who oversaw the public part of Fulton County, Ga.'s election operations. Moss recalled the verbal threats she faced when she received threatening calls on her old cell phone. She noted that when her son would answer the phone, "they'll just call him all kinds of racial slurs, and saying what they're going to do to him."

One of Trump's supporters even went so far as to boldly visit Moss's grandmother's home claiming they had arrived to make a "citizen's arrest." She added, "She was just yelling on the phone, like 'No! Stop! You cannot come in here! Stop!' So, I just had to call the police, and this happens all the time."

Now, many workers fear the possibility of the post-election period in 2020 becoming the norm going forward. Jennifer Morrell, a who works for the consultant firm known as The Elections Group, expressed concern about future elections and how Trump and his allies' actions could have lasting effects. "I'm horrified to think that this could be the new norm," Morrell said. "I think it's really important that we talk about it, and figure out how do we stamp that out."

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