FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 
November 7, 2022 

Government Accountability Project Releases Whistleblowing Resource for Election Workers

WASHINGTON – Today, Government Accountability Project is releasing a new guide to help election workers navigate the complex path of blowing the whistle safely and effectively in today’s climate of increased threats to the integrity of our elections and proper functioning of our democracy. “On The Front Lines of Democracy: A Guide to Whistleblowing for Election Workers” highlights how election workers—whether poll workers, managers, clerks, inspectors, or a municipal, county or state election officials—may be the best, and possibly the only, people in a position to notice and report illegal election interference by other election workers and officials. 

State legislatures across the country have used false claims of election fraud from the 2020 election to pass new laws that seize power from professional, non-partisan election administrators and expose the election process to partisan influence and disruption, creating conditions for delay, chaos, and uncertainty that will interfere with the counting of votes and certification of election results beyond election day. Current elected officials and new candidates are explicitly promoting the “Big Lie” that the 2020 election was stolen, undermining trust in the integrity of the election process. Violence and threats against elected officials—including Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Vice President Mike Pence, Congresswoman Liz Cheney, and most recently Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her husband Paul—as well as against poll workers like Georgia election workers Wandrea “Shaye” Moss and Ruby Freeman who testified at the January 6 hearings, are becoming normalized. And election deniers are an insider threat, having filled open state, county and local election official positions, from Secretaries of State to town clerks to positions that supervise polling places and oversee vote counting.  

Election workers committed to the non-partisan administration of our elections are in the best position to see and stop—through whistleblowing—illegal forms of election interference by other election workers and officials intent on sabotaging the election process. But election deniers who have continued to spread and act on disinformation that the 2020 election was stolen have deliberately created an environment that not only threatens our elections, but also threatens election workers themselves. 

Dana Gold, Senior Counsel and Director of Government Accountability Project’s Democracy Protection Initiative, stated:  

“Ethical employees who report wrongdoing sadly always risk retaliation. But election workers—our neighbors, friends, and family members who step up as civil servants to protect the fundamental right of all Americans to vote and have their votes counted—are faced with the risk of harassment and violence just for doing their jobs. Our democracy is at stake, and election workers need support and protection to navigate the complicated process of blowing the whistle to minimize their risk while ensuring their disclosures make a difference. This free resource, along with pro bono legal advice and guidance from Government Accountability Project, will hopefully empower election workers to speak out about illegal interference with our elections as they conduct their vital work of protecting our democracy.”  

Contact: Dana Gold, Director of Democracy Protection Initiative
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (202) 926-3306 

Government Accountability Project 

Government Accountability Project is the nation’s leading whistleblower protection organization. Through litigating whistleblower cases, publicizing concerns and developing legal reforms, Government Accountability Project’s mission is to protect the public interest by promoting government and corporate accountability. Founded in 1977, Government Accountability Project is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. 

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