Poll workers continue to face threats by fellow Americans after 2020 presidential election

Daily News Lesson

June 22, 2022, 6:20 p.m.

Poll workers continue to face threats by fellow Americans after 2020 presidential election

Summary

After former President Donald Trump’s false claims about fraudulent 2020 election results, local and state elections officials continue to face unprecedented pressures ahead of this year's midterms, including wide-scale threats. For a transcript of the story, click here .

Five Facts

Who are the officials interviewed in the segment? What are/were their roles?

What role do volunteer or temporary workers play in running elections?

Why do many election workers feel unsafe following the 2020 Election?

When did threats to these workers begin? (Following what event?)

How does intimidation of poll workers threaten American democracy?

Focus Questions

Many of the people who threaten election officials incorrectly believe that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump.

Why do you think so many people continue to have these false beliefs more than a year after the election?

Can their minds be changed? If so, how?

Media literacy: Judy Woodruff, the host of the segment, makes it clear that one of her guests is a Democrat and one is a Republican. Why do you think she does this? Does it make the story more or less credible to you? Civic engagement: Go to this website and enter your county, city, and state. Look at how much election workers in your area get paid and what the age requirement is. In many places, 16-year-olds can be paid to work elections. If you qualify, you can consider signing up. If you are too young, you can perhaps share with older sibling and friends and remember that the opportunity exists in the future. Do you think people will hesitate to become poll workers following stories like the one you heard in the video? What might be some short term and long term effects of not having enough poll workers?

For More

Click on the image below to read the following article with your students.

Leo Kamin, a rising sophomore at Amherst College and intern at NewsHour Classroom, wrote today's Daily News Lesson, with editing by Victoria Pasquantonio. Sign up for NewsHour Classroom’s ready-to-go Daily News Lessons delivered to your inbox each morning. Fill out this form to share your thoughts on today's lesson.