A Growing Number of Election Deniers Hold Key Local Roles in Midterms
nytimes.com
Officials who publicly claim the 2020 election was stolen are now running the machinery of future elections — raising the question of who guards the counters.
Principal-Agent ProblemInstitutional TrustSelf-Fulfilling ProphecyElite Theory
Theory Briefing
- A growing number of local election officials openly claim Trump won 2020 or that U.S. elections are riddled with fraud.
- These same officials now hold key administrative roles overseeing how midterm votes are counted and certified.
- The pattern raises a structural question: whether belief in a stolen election shapes how an official runs the next one.
- Local election roles — often low-profile — have become a focal point for those seeking to influence future electoral outcomes.