Election Workers Are Bracing for New Challenges, UMD Researcher Says

Despite threats of lawsuits and questions about voting integrity, election expert says voters should feel confident in system

A California Supreme Court orders a county sheriff to return seized ballots. The U.S. Supreme Court rejects calls to restrict mail-in voting. A North Carolina lawsuit questions new rules on the proper sealing of mail-in ballot envelopes.

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 the Election Resilience Lab, 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, it is led by Alysoun McLaughlin, 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 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.

Find John Tucker's full Q&A with Alysoun McLaughlin in Maryland Today

Photo by AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

Published on Thu, Oct 8, 2026 - 10:35AM