PRESS RELEASE
December 19, 2024

While officials were able to administer a safe and secure vote in November, new data confirms that they carried out their duties in the face of intense hostility.

Princeton, NJ – Incidents of threats and harassment against local officials increased by 30% in November, according to analysis of new data for the 2024 election period. The latest update from BDI’s Threats and Harassment Dataset (THD) captured 90 events for the month, up from nearly 70 in October, which had already seen a spike in events in the run-up to the vote. This marks the highest number of threat and harassment events recorded for a single month since the start of data collection in 2022 (see graph below). 

Incidents related to the election process accounted for most events in November, with an uptick in hostility targeting election officials and poll workers during the first half of the month. By the end of the month, threat and harassment activity began to return to average levels seen earlier in the year, with a shift in focus to issues related to the election outcome and incoming administration, such as hostility targeting local officials who expressed opposition to the president-elect’s policy proposals. 

Although local officials were able to ensure that the election remained safe and secure for voters, the data shows that they did so under intense pressure. This wave of election-related targeting comes amid a broader climate of hostility towards public officials that is poised to continue through the post-election period, posing a persistent danger to local democracy and civic space in 2025.

For more on threat trends around the vote, read our in-depth election analysis.

Key Trends

• In total, almost 600 threat and harassment events targeting local officials have been recorded so far this year, with incidents reported in nearly every state in the country. Of these events, more than 90 are election-related, accounting for 16% of all incidents.
  • As of November, 2024 has already surpassed 2023 in total number of incidents.
  • Events are up 19% from the same period last year, and 108% compared to 2022. 
     
• A spike in threats and harassment targeting election officials and poll workers contributed to the overall surge in November, accounting for approximately 30 events.
  • At least 10 incidents were recorded on Election Day itself, including death threats against a local official in Texas related to vote counting as well as the  harassment of officials at polling sites in four other states.
  • Trends in threats and harassment varied by location. Counties at the center of disinformation and election denial campaigns, such as Arizona’s Maricopa County, saw particularly high levels of  hostility.
  • By mid-month, election-specific incidents began to decrease, with only four of the 30 events targeting election officials and poll workers recorded after November 15.
     
• Despite the focus on the election, November also saw an uptick in incidents connected to other motivations like education topics (e.g. school administration, curriculum, or policies) and hyperlocal issues, particularly during the second half of the month. 
  • School officials in Oregon and New Jersey faced threats after Libs of TikTok, a prominent social media account known for online harassment campaigns, amplified local school district decisions, for example.  
  • Following the outcome of the election, local officials in at least four states also faced threats and harassment over immigration issues, with some targeted over their opposition to the incoming administration’s proposed immigration policies. 

BDI will continue to update the THD monthly to provide users with near-real-time data on the evolving threat and harassment landscape in 2025, in order to better support evidence-based decision-making to protect civic spaces through the new year. To access the dataset, please register at the BDI website.

Media Contact: Sam Jones, Communications Manager

The Bridging Divides Initiative (BDI) is a non-partisan research initiative based at Princeton University that tracks and mitigates political violence in the United States. BDI seeks to contribute to a future where thriving communities are prepared to respond in periods of risk, are empowered to address the long-term divides we face as a society, and are supported to build a pluralistic, multi-racial democracy.

The THD is part of BDI’s Understanding Threats and Harassment Against Local Officials (UTH) project, a mixed methods approach to systematically monitor the full scope of threats and harassment facing local officials across the United States, and is made possible by the UTH consortium. Current members of the consortium include the Anti-Defamation League, the Brennan Center for Justice, CivicPulse, the Prosecution Project, the National League of Cities, and the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, among others. BDI regularly works to expand data contributions to address gaps in coverage. If you believe your organization has relevant data to contribute, please reach out to [email protected]. For more information about the UTH project and how to cite the research, check our FAQ sheet.

The project is supported by the Brennan Center for Justice, the Bipartisan Policy Center, and generous flexible support from BDI’s core funders, following essential start-up funds from the Anti-Defamation League and Stand Together Trust.