Not all heroes wear capes, but sometimes election workers do.
Nov. 6 was Election Heroes Day, and the election workers in Jefferson County celebrated by wearing capes. The day was created to appreciate the people who make elections happen all across the country. Established Nov. 2, 2020, Election Heroes Day is meant to spread appreciation and education about the people behind the elections.
Elections and election workers have been the focus of threats and other security concerns since the 2020 elections, according to Rocky Mountain PBS. The organization’s report in August detailed the various threats, investigations and convictions for threats made to election officials across the U.S.
The Brennan Center for Justice reported in April that 45% of election workers feared for their safety. The center surveyed election officials across the U.S. and found that many were experiencing more threats of violence since the 2020 election season.
Election Heroes Day is a way to “recognize the immense importance and work of election administration teams, poll workers and more across the nation,” according to the Election Hero Day webpage. The site details the work that election workers do. This includes up to 20-hour days working to make elections secure and accessible.
Jefferson County’s Clerk and Recorder Amanda Gonzalez explained how these heroes are a part of the community.
“On Election Hero Day, we celebrate and honor the civic leaders and democracy defenders who make our elections possible—our election workers,” Gonzalez said. “Elections are run by your neighbors, your friends from church, folks who have found a second career after retiring from their first and those who just care a lot about free and fair elections, and we’re proud to have them on our team.”
Jefferson County hired about 380 election workers for the 2023 election, according to the Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder’s Office. The office will hire twice that amount for the 2024 election. The workers come from the community, many return year after year.
For more information on election workers and how to become an election worker for the 2024 election season, click here.
The Jeffco Clerk is already recruiting election workers for the March 2024 Presidential Primary election.