If something goes awry at the vote center in Calavera Community Park in Carlsbad, Gwen Holm will first consult her 104-page poll worker manual. If that doesn’t help, she’ll call the poll worker hotline.
And if the matter is more urgent and safety is compromised, then she will call 911.
Poll workers are trained to handle all sorts of scenarios, from voters’ questions about how to cast their ballot to more contentious situations, such as when people illegally campaign too close to a vote center.
“We’re all kind of on the alert,” said Holm, 68, who lives in Oceanside.
More than 200 vote centers are open across San Diego County for the final days of the presidential election, and local election officials and law enforcement are assuring jittery voters and poll workers of how they are keeping them safe.
Nationwide, concerns have risen dramatically since the 2020 election. There has been an increase in threats against election officials, fueled largely by false claims from former President Donald Trump about his 2020 election loss.
Holm and her team, along with county officials and local law enforcement, say they’re prepared for any potential unrest, even though San Diego County hasn’t experienced the kind of unrest at polling places other states have.
“I am a little nervous, but I don’t expect it here,” she said.
Hundreds of thousands of people have already cast their ballots in San Diego County.
More than 700,000 mail-in ballots have been returned, said Cynthia Paes, the county registrar of voters, on Friday morning. And by Thursday, more than 14,000 people had voted in person at the limited number of vote centers that opened the previous weekend.
Officials expect about 80% of the county’s nearly 2 million ed voters to cast a ballot this year — similar to turnout in 2016 and 2020.
There will always be “difficult folks” at the polls, but so far this election has been “an enjoyable experience” for voters and workers, Paes said. But officials are “taking this seriously” and are ready should an emergency arise. State law prohibits stationing police in vote centers, but they will be able to respond as needed, she added.
During all elections, the registrar’s office ramps up its collaboration with state and federal agencies and local law enforcement, Paes said. This year, they have held daily safety briefings but have not boosted security measures.
Neither the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office nor the FBI is aware of any potential threats in the region. But this week, the sheriff’s office will staff its operation center so it can respond efficiently to any.
“We respect everyone’s right to express their opinion under the First Amendment and urge of the public to behave in a way that is respectful of others,” Sheriff Kelly A. Martinez said in a statement. She said her office has trained to prepare for “any event that might take place related to election activities.”
Since the 2020 election, poll workers across the country have expressed more unease about safety. One recent survey by the progressive policy institute Brennan Center for Justice found that more than 90% of local election officials had taken steps to boost security for workers and infrastructure since then.
Concerns about election infrastructure have also risen as Election Day nears, and as ballot drop boxes in other states have been set on fire, damaging or destroying hundreds of ballots inside.
Antonia Hutzell, a spokesperson for the San Diego County Registrar of Voters, said that each of San Diego County’s stainless-steel ballot drop boxes is designed to prevent physical damage, including from fire.
“They are weather-resistant and fire-suppressant,” she said in an email. “The doors have weather-stripping, and all the seams are sealed, limiting the oxygen inside that could sustain a fire.”
Ballots are picked up daily from the 150 drop-off locations around the county, Hutzell added.
San Diego County’s poll workers get two to three days of training, including learning de-escalation techniques and safety protocols so they know whom to in case of an emergency. That’s on top of being guided on how to set up the voting machines and check in voters.
On any given day, Holm fields a range of questions about voting. Some scenarios you can’t train for, she says — so she appreciates the checklist and manual, which she consults often.
She has also answered questions from people who are less trusting of the voting process. Once she explains the protocols and procedures to them, they seem reassured.
Holm became a poll worker in 2020 for the presidential election to better understand the process, especially since election integrity was under such scrutiny. She has now worked four elections.
“Now I can tell people, it’s not perfect — because nothing is infallible — but so far, it’s fair, above board,” she said. “There are so many checks and balances, which is what you want in any process.”
