Problems at the Polls
Far-right conspiracy theorists look to install themselves as poll workers, report says
Members of far-right social media platforms are gearing up to serve as official poll workers for the midterm elections, according to a new report obtained Monday by Politico.
The report, from a non-partisan research group called Advance Democracy Inc., reportedly found examples of users on Truth Social, the platform founded by former President Donald Trump, discussing their intent to identify voter fraud in the midterms. These discussions were reportedly seen in a variety of posts compiled from March to October of this year.
Politico said the users had talked about installing their own software into official election databases, as well as bringing cameras into polling places to watch voters. Many of them had also reportedly said they would falsely claim to be Democrats on their poll worker applications.
"Individuals seeking to become election workers to prove unsubstantiated theories of election fraud, or to disqualify certain votes to change election outcomes, present a threat to the security of American elections," the report said, per Politico.
In addition to Truth Social, similar posts were seen on other far-right social media platforms, Advance Democracy Inc. said. This includes sites like Gab and Gettr, where many conspiracy theories about voter fraud have been swirling. Many of these posts were tied to far-right groups such as QAnon and other similar conspiracy fringes.
Discourse among poll workers has reportedly become a significant concern in the leadup to the midterms, especially among groups who will try to install election-denying poll workers in key positions.