Officials concerned about ‘violence and disruption’ during midterm elections, says Michigan secretary of state

• On Face the Nation, the Michigan Secretary of State said officials are concerned about violence during the midterms.
• Sec. Jocelyn Benson said "the ongoing spread of misinformation" fuels the potential for violence.
• Sec. Benson added that officials have been preparing for "potential disruptions" since the 2020 election.

Michigan's Secretary of State, Jocelyn Benson, said on Sunday's Face the Nation that election officials are worried about potential "violence and disruption" during the upcoming midterms. 

With just over two months to go until election day, Benson told CBS News' Major Garrett election officials nationwide are preparing for "potential disruptions" to polling places and have been for the past two years.

"Violence and disruption on Election Day, first and foremost, and in the days surrounding the election," Benson explained, is the primary concern among officials. "And, secondly, there's a concern about the ongoing spread of misinformation, which of course, fuels the potential for additional threats, harassment and, and even violence on Election Day."

Michigan's top election official is not alone in her concern about violence during this election cycle. A Capitol police officer last month expressed worry about another potential attack like the Jan. 6 siege on the Capitol since the search of Mar-a-Lago prompted a rise in online threats and calls for violence, especially among GOP politicians and Trump supporters. In a speech earlier this week, President Joe Biden warned that American democracy is under threat due to extreme MAGA ideology and political violence. 

Benson noted that there have not been "significant attempts" to disrupt the electoral process in Michigan or elsewhere, but that officials have collaborated with law enforcement "and every other potential partner" to make sure voters are safe at polling places.

"It's also important to note that we've been doing this work now for close to two years, or over two years, and we've been succeeding really at every turn," Benson said. "We are in many ways even more prepared this year than ever before, than — even than we were in 2020, to ensure that we are eliminating, mitigating or certainly protecting the system against any potential disruptions."

A spokesperson for the Michigan Department of State told Insider the Benson administration made $ 8 million available for local clerks to bolster election security to prepare for "any possible attack or interference," citing a recent Brennan Center poll which found one in six elec­tion offi­cials have exper­i­enced threats because of their job, and 77% say that they feel these threats have increased in recent years.

"[The Benson administration] continues working with clerks and law enforcement agencies to ensure they know all relevant election laws and how to enforce them, and are prepared to do so quickly and effectively to protect our elections and all eligible citizens' right to safely cast their ballot and have their vote counted," Jake Rollow, a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of State, told Insider.

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