At Least 25 Election Deniers Take County Posts Since 2024 in Key Midterm Areas
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 6
At Least 25 Election Deniers Take County Posts Since 2024 in Key Midterm Areas
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 6
Summary
At least 25 county-level election officials aligned with election-denier claims have taken office since the 2024 federal election, according to a New York Times review of a Voting Rights Lab database.
Those officials now oversee elections in counties tied to competitive House, Senate or statewide midterm races, and all either promoted false 2020 fraud claims or took actions supporting them.
The new officeholders add to at least 69 election-skeptic local officials already serving across states; the combined group includes county election directors, board members and local officials with canvassing or certification power.
Among that broader pool, 41 have taken direct steps to interfere with elections or have ties to activist election-denier groups, while roughly 60 posted or shared messages casting doubt on 2020 results.
Heidi Stirrup's rise in Virginia illustrates the trend: after being barred from the Justice Department in 2020 over pressure tied to fraud claims, she joined Prince William County's electoral board in 2021 and has chaired it since 2025.
How might mandatory state oversight laws transform the way local counties manage and certify future election results?
Will the increasing legal pressure on ministerial duties prevent local administrators from delaying the final vote tally?
Democracy at Risk: The Impact of Partisan County Takeovers and Election Denial on the 2026 U.S. Midterms
Overview
This report reveals how partisan takeovers of county election boards in states like North Carolina and Georgia have led to new rules that threaten to disenfranchise thousands of eligible voters, especially in minority communities. These changes, driven by legislative actions and reinforced by federal pressure, have resulted in the closure of polling places, longer wait times, and the replacement of experienced, nonpartisan administrators with partisan actors. As a result, public confidence in elections has eroded, conspiracy theories have spread, and the impartial administration of elections is at risk, raising serious concerns for the integrity of the 2026 midterms and the future of American democracy.