LETTER: Nevada law protecting poll workers is vital to democracy

In response to your July 3 article, “Lawsuit aims to block Nevada election worker safety law”:

Poll workers and election officials have faced harassment and even death threats in recent years for doing their jobs to administer safe and secure elections — a bedrock of American democracy. As a part-time poll worker since 2008 who trains others to work in a nonpartisan way to ensure that all voters have a chance to cast their ballots, I believe Nevadans should not tolerate any behavior that jeopardizes our safety and our democratic processes.

The election worker safety law that passed both legislative chambers with unanimous support does not impede normal election observation. Sadly, many of us have seen an increase in partisan “poll observers” who are trained to disrupt election processes. These trainings have specifically catered to those who continue to question the legitimacy of the most recent presidential election. This law will keep election workers safe from intimidation, and it will also protect the voter experience from bad actors who want to cause chaos.

The Civil Rights Act of 1968 also protects election workers from intimidation, so Nevada’s new law stands on precedent. Poll observers who wish to participate in our democratic process are welcome to do so, but they are required to follow the law. They cannot be allowed to obstruct free and fair elections in Nevada.