--- title: "Election Workers Are Bracing for New Challenges, UMD Researcher Says" date: 2026-10-08T05:30:00-04:00 author: University of Maryland canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/election-workers-are-bracing-for-new-challenges-umd-researcher-says" section: Articles --- # Election Workers Are Bracing for New Challenges, UMD Researcher Says *October 8, 2026* — by [John Tucker](/author/john-tucker) > Despite threats of lawsuits and questions about voting integrity, election expert says voters should feel confident in system *Ballots are inspected at a ballot processing center Tuesday, March 5, 2024, in the City of Industry, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) — Ballots are inspected at a ballot processing center in 2024. As the midterms get closer, a UMD expert discusses the challenges facing more than 10,000 election officials nationwide. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)* A California Supreme Court [orders](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/24/us/riverside-county-california-sheriff-seized-ballots.html) a county sheriff to return seized ballots. The U.S. Supreme Court [rejects calls](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/14/nx-s1-5962190/supreme-court-mail-in-voting-trump) to restrict mail-in voting. A North Carolina lawsuit questions new rules on the [proper sealing of mail-in ballot envelopes.](https://www.wral.com/news/nccapitol/voter-groups-sue-north-carolina-election-officials-over-mail-in-ballot-rules-september-2026/) And that was just September. The runup to the Nov. 3 midterm election feels more dizzying than ever, with tempers flaring over ballot box integrity and allegations of voter fraud, while concerns mount over the mental health of poll workers. Last fall the University of Maryland [launched](file:///C:/Users/jtucker1.AD/Desktop/he%20new%20Election%20Resilience%20Lab%20at%20UMD%20will%20bring%20together%20researchers%20and%20practitioners%20to%20examine%20the%20increased%20demands%20that%20election%20officials%20face) the [Election Resilience Lab](https://cdce.umd.edu/erl), uniting researchers and practitioners to examine the increased demands on election officials and to offer support. Housed within the university’s [Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement](https://cdce.umd.edu/erl), it is led by [Alysoun McLaughlin](https://cdce.umd.edu/facultyprofile/mclaughlin/alysoun-0), a widely recognized election administration expert who has 25 years of experience in the field, including more than a decade as a nonpartisan local election official in Montgomery County, Md. Last month McLaughlin was invited [to testify at a congressional forum](https://www.c-span.org/program/public-affairs-event/house-democrats-hold-forum-on-protecting-the-right-to-vote/685560) led by House Democrats to examine how best to uphold democracy and protect voting rights. There, she said, “Local governments are on the job, and their poll workers are prepared and ready” to face down threats and intimidation. This week, she sat down with Maryland Today to discuss the current landscape and the challenges facing the more than 10,000 election officials nationwide charged with managing the midterm elections. ## How would you summarize voter mood this year? We're in an era of intergovernmental tension. Voters are being bombarded with messages about risk, with narratives that federal actors [will interfere](file:///C:/Users/jtucker1.AD/Downloads/A%20Quick%20Reference%20Guide%20for%20Election%20Officials) at polling stations or that poll workers aren’t experienced. Many rumors aren’t true. The first responsibility of election officials is to find out what's actually going on and work with poll workers and law enforcement to establish fact from fiction and respond. As researchers, we also play a role in finding the truth. ## Can trust be restored? I don't like the word “trust.” From my perspective, our system doesn’t demand it. As an election official, I never wanted anyone to trust me that the results were right; I wanted them to know we could prove it —that the ballots and evidence trail were preserved, that we put in long hours post-election reviewing logs, performing audits, conducting recounts and investigating complaints. \[[*UMD Report: Low Salaries, High Stress Linked to Record Turnover Rate Among Election Workers*](https://today.umd.edu/umd-report-low-salaries-high-stress-linked-to-record-turnover-rate-among-election-workers)\] ## Are election officials prepared for lawsuits? There’s more lawyering up this year, by elections officials and candidates. Officials in swing states have always been ready to go to court, but in other jurisdictions where it’s easier to get complacent, the likelihood of these contests going to court is becoming more apparent than it used to be. Officials are working with their legal counsel to share knowledge of chain-of-custody documentations, how the voting equipment works and where ballots are at any time. [New resources](https://www.gceon.org/) this year allow lawyers from different jurisdictions to share information about things like counting ballots and registering voters. ## What are the best- and worst-case scenarios you envision post-election? The best thing is that all this scrutiny means voters walk away having learned more about their local government’s processes. The worst thing is that the media noise drowns it out, or that misinformation and disinformation spreads. For election officials, it's about sifting through the noise, getting accurate information out through those who speak with a bigger microphone. In the case of protests, officials are working with law enforcement to make sure proper security is in place, and they have communications methods to tell the public what’s going on inside of the building. ## What do you want voters to know? Elections aren't over on election night, or when the media calls the outcome. There is a legal process that plays out when not everyone is watching, so that every ballot to be counted and scrutinized for certification. Contests will be drawn out and can be dragged out in the courts for months. But ultimately the legal questions are settled, and the person who was legally elected goes on to hold the office. Voters should have confidence in the system. **Topics:** [Research](https://today.umd.edu/tags/research) **Tags:** [2026 Elections](https://today.umd.edu/topic/2026-elections), [Research](https://today.umd.edu/topic/research) **Units:** [College of Behavioral and Social Sciences](https://today.umd.edu/topic/college-behavioral-and-social-sciences)