“This feels like a really precarious spot.”In Pennsylvania, officials estimate 40 of the state’s 67 county election offices have new directors or deputy directors since 2020. In North Carolina, where the Republican Legislature recently moved to gain more control of state and local election boards, roughly a third of 100 county election directors have left since the 2020 election. Of the local election office, Fitzgerald said he knows they are trying to improve: “But they are not coming through when you need them the most,” he said. Local election officials were in a tough position trying to explain what happened given the active investigation, Sanguedolce said. She recalls angry voters showing up at the election office, contentious public meetings and law enforcement officials warning her about threats.

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