Grapevine

Prepping for the worst: Election workers anticipate threats in US vote

Across the country, in Rochester Hills, Michigan, Tina Barton had her own brush with election-related violence.

For more than three decades, Barton, a Republican, served in government, eventually landing the role of city clerk. That office required her to administer elections and maintain voter files, among other duties.

But over the years, she had seen tensions rise. There were early signs of discord in the 2000 election between Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W Bush, a race decided by a few thousand votes in Florida.

Barton also noticed election denialism years later, in 2016. At the time, Green Party candidate Jill Stein pushed for long-shot recounts in three battleground states, including Michigan, after she finished fourth in the presidential race.

As that effort fizzled, Stein decried, "We do not have a voting system we can trust."