Despite serious threats made towards election workers in the days following Election Day, Minnesota’s secretary of state has confidence poll workers will continue to show up. 

“They deserve so much of the credit for the success of this past election,” Steve Simon said. 

Secretary Simon says without election workers, it wouldn’t be possible to have elections. 

“We need 30,000 people, that’s a small army, to stand up and do that job,” Simon said. 

Because of the importance of their work, Simon calls bomb threats made towards election workers in the majority of Minnesota counties in the days following Election Day “a real concern.”

RELATED: Bomb threat sent to elections staff causes Chisago County Gov. Center to open late

“I think the lesson there, at least for our office, is we got to continue to work closely together with counties, with cities, with townships, advising them on physical safety, advising them on about how to handle exactly this kind of thing,” Simon said. 

While still under investigation, Simon says the threats were deemed not credible. He adds aggression like this is becoming more common, which follows national reports of threats surrounding polls. 

“You know, a bomb threat, unfortunately, is sort of on the menu now,” Simon said. “Over the last few years and going into this election, it’s one of the precise things that we helped counties and cities plan for.”

He says that includes constant communication with teams at the local, state and federal levels. And Simon says his office has a dedicated team that travels to all counties in Minnesota to ensure they’re prepared.

In the days leading up to the election, 5 INVESTIGATES found in five of the biggest counties in the state, poll workers were concerned about their safety.

Still, Simon has confidence the bomb threats won’t deter people from being election workers. 

“That’s always a possibility, but I’m really an optimist about this stuff. I think we’ve been through a lot in the last few years, and yet somehow we always managed to get the 30,000 people that we need every election to do this,” Simon says. 

For at least one election worker in Ramsey County who’s been at it for 20 years, Roxanne Schenzel says she’ll be back. 

“It makes me feel that I’m really doing my civic duty,” Schenzel said, adding about her safety, “I feel that we’re taken very good care of by the Secretary of State, by Ramsey County here in the office, they give us the instructions on to whatever we need for whatever the situation may arise.”