Extraordinary measures turn Maricopa county elections office into fortress ahead of 2024 vote to protect staff and ballots

Maricopa county, Arizona – a campaign battleground where election workers have faced violent threats – has taken extraordinary measures to protect its staff and the counting of ballots.

The Guardian obtained a document from the county listing security changes it has made since the 2020 election. Those include stationing a Swat team on-site at the main building where votes are tabulated and deploying the sheriff on horseback.

After facing false claims that the 2020 election was stolen, Maricopa county became a hotspot for the contentious fights that followed. It is the most populous county in Arizona, a critical swing state in the presidential election and a battleground state for control of the Senate. Election workers have faced a daily torrent of hateful and menacing messages over email and social media, and such threats led Clint Hickman to decide not to run for re-election as a county supervisor this year.