FORT LEE – Pay for poll workers in New Jersey has risen in recent years; It is now a pretty reasonable $300 per Election Day.

That’s the good news.

The downside is that ever since the 2020 election, working the polls can be dangerous.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer says he’s heard from poll workers across the state who have been subject to threats and harassment. A contributing factor is what’s been happening around the country.

In the wake of the last presidential election, there were reports out of Georgia of some election workers receiving death threats. Georgia was – and is – a presidential battleground state.

New Jersey is not, but that doesn’t mean the state is immune to the problem.

John Hogan, the Bergen County clerk, says he’s seen problems the last few years with voters showing up to the polls wearing hats in support of certain candidates. Hogan did not specifically point to “MAGA hats,” but that was easy to figure out.

Openly endorsing a candidate in any way is prohibited in polling places, so anyone wearing such clothing is asked to remove it. Sometimes, Hogan said,  those so-attired become belligerent to poll workers.

The forum for these comments was a Monday press conference outside the borough’s community center.
There was nothing accidental about the locale. The center is a polling place and there also is a ballot drop-off box outside.

Gottheimer backs federal legislation to protect poll workers.

He is sponsoring a federal bill to make it a crime punishable with possible jail time for those who threaten election workers. Gottheimer said he also backs a state bill that would essentially do the same thing.

Moreover, the congressman spoke of federal legislation to provide grants to improve security at polling places.

Gottheimer co-chairs the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, so he said this bill has Republican support.

“Our poll workers and election officers are patriots,” he said.

The CD-5 congressman and others speaking, including Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich, acknowledged how distressing it is that such legislation is needed in the first place.

Point well taken. Up until recently, working the polls on Election Day was a very long (polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.) day, but not necessarily a dangerous one.

Times have changed in light of Donald Trump’s continuing refusal to accept the results of the 2020 election. To some, poll workers were part of “the fix,”

Gottheimer also noted that there are some who are already casting doubt on the accuracy of  the upcoming election.

With that in mind, one supposes the N.J. Department of State deserves credit for its rosy assessment of the job. An online pitch to recruit poll workers says:

“See our great democracy in action, firsthand, and enjoy the feeling that comes with contributing to your local community, your state and your country.”

It may not be that simple anymore.