The Foreign Minister addresses the bomb threats, confident that this will not keep the pollsters away
Despite serious threats against election workers in the days after Election Day, Minnesota’s secretary of state is confident poll workers will continue to show up.
“They deserve so much credit for the success of this past election,” Steve Simon said.
Minister Simon says that without election workers, elections would not be possible.
“We need 30,000 people, that’s a small army, to stand up and do that work,” Simon said.
Because of the importance of their work, Simon calls the bomb threats against election workers in most Minnesota counties in the days after Election Day “a real concern.”
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“I think the lesson there, at least for our office, is that we have to continue to work closely with provinces, with cities, with townships, advise them on physical security, advise them on how exactly to approach these kinds of things , Simon said.
While the investigation is ongoing, Simon says the threats were not deemed credible. He adds that this type of aggression is becoming more common, following national reports of threats surrounding polls.
“You know, a bomb threat is kind of on the menu now, unfortunately,” Simon said. “Over the last few years and as we go into this election, this is one of the precise things that we’ve been helping counties and cities plan for.”
He says this includes ongoing communication with teams at the local, state and federal levels. And Simon says his office has a dedicated team traveling to every Minnesota county to ensure they are prepared.
In the days leading up to the elections 5 RESEARCH In five of the state’s largest counties, poll workers were concerned about their safety.
Still, Simon is confident the bomb threats won’t deter people from becoming election workers.
“That is always possible, but I am really an optimist in this area. I think we’ve been through a lot over the years, and yet somehow we’ve always managed to get the 30,000 people we need at every election to do this,” says Simon.
For at least one Ramsey County election worker who has been at it for 20 years, Roxanne Schenzel says she will be back.
“It makes me feel like I’m really doing my civic duty,” Schenzel said, adding of her safety: “I feel like we’re being very well taken care of by the Secretary of State, by Ramsey County here on office, they give us the instructions on everything we need, no matter the situation.”
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