LINCOLN — A trio of national researchers took turns Tuesday describing the rising threats and violence directed at officials who handle our elections, direct public health and educate our children.

Three Nebraska election officials said that this state is not completely immune to the same trends described in the “Elections and the Threat of Violence” discussion organized by the national counterterrorism center at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

“It’s gotten more stressful, it’s a little more grueling. We’re obviously under the microscope more,” said Brian Kruse, the Douglas County election commissioner since 2016.

‘More challenging’

“There’s no comparison with what it’s become today,” added Tracy Overstreet, the Hall County election commissioner.

“It’s more challenging today in so many different ways,” said Lancaster County Election Commissioner Dave Shively, who is leaving his job in January.

While the Nebraska officials said they have not faced the threats and harassment that have caused an exodus of election officials in states such as Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan, there have been challenges here:

• In September 2020, a suspicious package that looked like a bomb was mailed to the Hall County Election Commissioner’s Office, forcing an evacuation of the building.
• Election offices in Nebraska have been inundated with public records requests associated with the false claims of widespread voter fraud during the 2020 elections. Often, officials say, the requests...

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