“In a way, it’s the manifestation of a self-fulfilling prophecy,” said Tammy Patrick, who works with election officials as a senior adviser at the Democracy Fund. Activists primed to see misconduct are more likely to blow minor errors out of proportion and cause disruptions “that will just bolster their claims,” she said.
Interviews with election officials and activists, public records and planning emails obtained by The New York Times show that the extensive network of organizers includes Republican Party officials, mainstream conservative groups and the most conspiracy-minded corners of the election denial movement.
The groups appear to be building on the tactics used two years ago: compiling testimony from G.O.P.-allied poll workers, the temporary employees who run polling places, and poll watchers, the volunteers who monitor operations, to build challenges and contest results.
“We are 100 times more prepared now,” Stephen K. Bannon, a former adviser to Mr. Trump who was involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 election, said in an interview. Mr. Bannon hosts a podcast that has become a clearinghouse for right-wing election activists. “We’re going to adjudicate every battle. That’s the difference.”
Mr. Bannon was found guilty in July of contempt of Congress for not cooperating with the House committee investigating the attack of Jan. 6, 2021. On Monday, prosecutors recommended that he serve six months in jail, while Mr. Bannon argued he should have no jail time.
Both Democrats and Republicans have long enlisted poll watchers and workers to oversee voting and planned ahead for disputes. But this year, officials are grappling with the prospect that those efforts may be driven by activists who spread fantastical or debunked theories.
Officials saw evidence of the new organizing in primary elections. In Michigan, a poll worker was charged with tampering with an election computer. In Texas, activists followed election officials to their offices and tried to enter secured areas. In Alabama, activists tried to insert fake ballots into a machine during public testing.
