Why Election Officials Are Alarmed (with Liz Howard)
From The Briefing with Michael Waldman by Brennan Center for Justice
April 23, 2026 · 29 min
About this episode
Liz Howard discusses the challenges faced by election officials and the importance of supporting them for free and fair elections.
In 2024 and 2025, elections were safe and secure largely due to the efforts of election officials. Yet those who run our elections face ongoing threats of violence and political interference as their jobs have been thrust into the spotlight. The Brennan Center recently released its sixth annual survey of election officials , which reveals that they need our support heading into Election Day. Listen as Elizabeth Howard, director of partner engagement in the Brennan Center’s Elections and Government Program, breaks down the challenges election officials are facing and discusses how we and others are working to ensure our elections remain free and fair. Recorded on April 15, 2026. Keep up with the Brennan Center’s work by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, The Briefing , at https://go.brennancenter.org/briefing . The Brennan Center is a nonpartisan law and policy institute that works to repair, revitalize, and defend our systems of democracy and justice so that they work for all Americans. The Brennan Center cannot support or oppose any candidate for office.
People in this episode
Host: Michael Waldman
Guest: Liz Howard
Topics covered
- election security
- political interference
- election officials
- Brennan Center survey
- democracy
Keywords
- election officials
- violence
- political interference
- Brennan Center
- elections
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Brennan Center for Justice
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