Threats lean toward sexual or domestic violence, attacks on their families and criticisms that they can’t do their jobs

Carly Koppes kept her pregnancy hidden from the public as long as she possibly could, fearing the potential harassment that could come from those who frequently attack the Republican elections clerk.

When Koppes, who runs elections in Weld county, Colorado, did media interviews, she asked the people behind the camera to position her so her growing belly wasn’t visible, fearing her harassers would see the images or videos and make comments about her future child. She “never in a million years” anticipated that she’d have to hide her pregnancy, she said.

Sure enough, once it was public, she received messages like, “I’m going to pray for your child because his mother’s a demon,” she said.

“I’m happy to report, he did not come out with horns, he came out looking more like a cherub angel,” she joked. “So thank you for the prayers, they clearly worked.”

Koppes is part of the 80% – the percentage of women who run elections in the US, one area of government that is consistently female-dominated. It’s also an area of government that, since 2020, has seen a persistent level of threats and harassment, largely from those who believe Donald Trump won the election that year. Women in elected positions, in general, report higher levels of threats and harassment than their male counterparts, and people of color experience higher levels than their white counterparts.