Context: The contributions of the field of public health to human society are numerous, and often taken for granted. The COVID-19 pandemic thrust the largely invisible public health workforce into the public eye. Like other career civil servants at the intersection of the citizen-state encounter, reports of uncooperative, hostile, and even violent confrontations between public health workers and those they serve are on the rise. This study explores the attitudes of public health professionals in two states in the American west. Methods: Anonymous, web-based survey of public health professionals in Montana and Oregon, one year into the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings: Public health workers reported beliefs that the COVID-19 pandemic was politicized by actors in the government, by both major political parties, by the media, and by the public broadly. This politicization affected workers abilities to do their jobs, with respondents in Montana experiencing more negative impacts than those in Oregon. Conclusions: The growing antagonism public health workers face today from the public and pressure from political leaders poses a significant concern for the public health workforce and for communities as they prepare to address and overcome future public health challenges.

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The American democratic system depends on the regular execution of free and fair elections, delivered by front-line public workers. Local election officials (LEOs), their staff, and temporary election workers are tasked with providing excellent constituent service and expertise with a high degree of professionalism. Following the 2020 U.S. presidential contest, the very institution of elections has been under attack. This exploratory study investigates the impact of emotional labor on election workers in this atmosphere. The authors uncover the presence and nuances of emotional labor in election administration and raise questions about what this means for the future of election administration.

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