After leaving the swing state of Wisconsin, our group of 16 international journalists on the State Department’s “Towards the White House” tour moved on to our next destination: Miami, Florida.

Under the sunny skies of South Florida, a popular haven for wealthy retirees and the site of former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, an unusual pre-election tension was palpable.

Tense Election Officials

Our group visited the Miami-Dade County Elections Department, housed in the county government building, which, like many American offices, is carpeted with threadbare, nubby flooring.

Once we pushed open the heavy doors, however, it felt as though we had stepped into a high-ceilinged, sprawling warehouse. Stations for ballot opening and verification stretched out across the vast room, right in front of us.

Palm beach county votes. (Photo: Silva Shih)

In Miami, ballots fall into three categories: early voting, mail-in ballots, and in-person voting on Election Day. We saw stacks upon stacks of ballots from the first two categories.

“Any voter can request to observe how we open the ballots,” explained Roberto Rodriguez, Miami-Dade’s Deputy Election Supervisor. “We even run social media campaigns to clearly explain the electoral system. Every step is transparent and open to the public.”

This level of openness isn’t limited to Miami-Dade. At Palm Beach County’s Elections Office, a wall of glass offers the public a full view of the ballot-opening and auditing process. Every step can be monitored by anyone willing to watch.

Election Supervisor Wendy Link described a unique feature: when staff review stained or damaged ballots, citizens can signal their disagreement with a small flag provided near the observation windows.

Both Rodriguez and Link seemed particularly on edge this year as if bracing for potential conflict. And the source of this tension lies in a new grassroots movement.

(Photo: Silva Shih)

The Rise of the “Election Integrity” Movement

“How many of your countries have elections that are concluded in a single day?” Eduardo, a retired attorney and vice chairman of a local election watchdog group, asked us. We were sitting in his Cuban restaurant, surrounded by the aroma of traditional dishes.

Eduardo, a 67-year-old Cuban American who grew up in Chicago, wasted no time establishing his political stance: “I am a staunch conservative Republican.”

Eduardo’s organization is one of many advocating for “election integrity,” a term that has suddenly gained prominence across the United States. The Heritage Foundation, a well-known conservative think tank, has dedicated a special section to this topic, actively commenting on it over the past two years.

The mission of these groups is unified: to prevent any repeat of what they perceive as election fraud.

Eduardo. (Photo: Silva Shih)

Four years ago, Donald Trump declared victory on election night despite trailing Joe Biden in the count and claimed widespread ballot “fraud.” His supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol two months later, violently disrupting the congressional certification of the Electoral College results.

Although that violence was quickly quelled, it catalyzed a proliferation of conservative grassroots groups monitoring elections across the country, scrutinizing voting procedures and voter rolls in all 50 states. These organizations have also become highly vocal on social media. A video clip showing transparent ballot counting in Taiwan even went viral on X (formerly Twitter), praised for its openness.

A Breakdown in Trust

Returning to Eduardo’s initial question: How many countries conclude voting in a single day?

Most of us raised our hands in response, instinctively agreeing that election-day voting is a given. “But not in the United States,” Eduardo pointed out. “Here, Election Day can last several weeks — even an entire season. That extended timeline creates opportunities for fraud.”

Harris supporters at Palm Beach polling station. (Photo: Silva Shih)

He continued, “How many of your countries use mail-in voting?” Fewer hands went up. “Mail-in ballots invite cheating,” he argued, adding, “And how many of your countries require photo ID?”

We exchanged puzzled looks before slowly raising our hands again. Tomasz, a Polish journalist, even pulled out his ID to show Eduardo.

“In many states, like Florida, all you need is a driver’s license to register,” Eduardo said. “But how do you ensure that the license actually belongs to the person voting?” (Editor’s Note: States have varying requirements. For instance, Florida accepts Social Security numbers for voter registration.)

Even in Florida, where Republicans have dominated the last two elections, Eduardo, the “staunch conservative,” harbored deep mistrust toward the electoral system.

Public Supervision of the Election Committee. (Photo: Silva Shih)

As we followed this election, we couldn’t ignore the anxiety surrounding both parties’ high-stakes battle. But more troubling was a broader concern: Could a contested outcome lead to violence once again?

A troubling crisis of trust in the electoral system is spreading across the United States.

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Uploaded by Ian Huang