As former US President Donald Trump and his allies face charges of plotting to overturn vote results in the state of Georgia, poll workers say false claims of ballot fraud have had an enduring impact on their lives and the country. It shows no sign of abating for next year’s general election.
Chris Harvey, a law enforcement official turned elections director for Georgia’s secretary of state, is one of several Georgia officials who found themselves at the centre of 2020 election fraud allegations perpetuated by Mr Trump and his campaign team as they sought to challenge their loss in the battleground state to Joe Biden. He got a call on 4 January 2021 that someone was threatening him and his family. “We hope you enjoyed this holiday because it will be your last,” read the threat, posted on the dark web with a picture of Mr Harvey’s home and address.
Unsubstantiated claims of election fraud in 2020 led to stalking, intimidation and death threats for hundreds of election workers across the country. Those who fell victim say the allegations have ushered in an era of harassment for vote workers.
In the Peach State, some of Mr Trump’s alleged co-conspirators are charged with targeting election workers. Fulton County prosecutors accuse Mr Trump’s former personal attorney, Rudolph Guiliani, in the 98-page indictment of making false statements about Fulton County Ruby Freeman and her daughter Shaye Moss, who worked at a vote-counting site. Others are charged with travelling from out of state to harass Ms Freeman. The unfounded allegations saw violent threats directed at Ms Freeman and Ms Moss, they testified last year to a congressional committee that blamed Mr Trump for the US Capitol riot.
The threats spread to Georgia’s top Republican election officials, including Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and voting system implementation manager Gabriel Sterling.
Election officials across the country have experienced an uptick in threats since 2020. According to a 2023 poll from the Brennan Center for Justice, 30% of local election workers said they had been abused, harassed or threatened over their jobs. This increase in threats has so far shown little sign of abating.
The Trump legacy is now the revival of the lawless Wild West and the cattle barons … and he’s the biggest and baddest cattle baron of all … 
