Swing-state election officials move aggressively to guard against a repeat of 2020’s disruptions

In Arizona’s third most-populous county, a Republican supervisor who is responsible for certifying November’s election results has argued that fellow county officials conspired to manufacture his lopsided defeat in the primary for sheriff, a contention recently shot down by independent investigators. Still, when the time came to sign off on the results during a board meeting recently, Pinal County Supervisor Kevin Cavanaugh declared he only was voting to do so “under duress.”

In Arizona’s third most-populous county, a Republican supervisor who is responsible for certifying November’s election results has argued that fellow county officials conspired to manufacture his lopsided defeat in the primary for sheriff, a contention recently shot down by independent investigators. Still, when the time came to sign off on the results during a board meeting recently, Pinal County Supervisor Kevin Cavanaugh declared he only was voting to do so “under duress.” In the years since former President Donald Trump and his allies made baseless claims that widespread fraud led to his 2020 defeat, allegations of wild election misdeeds continue to swirl in key battleground states. So, too, have confrontations over voting rules and the once low-profile task of formally signing off on vote tallies – an act mandated by state laws and what will be a crucial step in certifying the results of next month’s presidential election and down-ballot contests. But as Election Day draws near, state officials say they have moved aggressively to guard against any disruptions in what polls show could be another nail-biter election – the battle for the White House between Trump and his Democratic rival Vice President Kamala Harris. Those measures include schooling judges on the tight deadlines that election officials face under state and federal laws and, in the most extreme examples, pursuing criminal charges against those who resist carrying out their duties. Election chiefs say they are hopeful that these steps will curb any post-election drama. In Wisconsin – a battleground state where election conspiracy theories took root after President Joe Biden flipped the state in 2020 – Ann Jacobs, the chair of the state elections board, said she believes that “whatever saber-rattling you hear will eventually dissipate.” “I’m learning that there are people prepared to go to prison for long sentences with a misguided belief in conspiracy theories surrounding elections,” Jacobs, a Democrat, told reporters during a recent briefing on the state’s election procedures. “But I think those people are very few and far between.”