 It was the middle of the night, November 4th, 2020, when Milwaukee's top election official emerged. Alongside two Milwaukee police officers, Claire Whittle-Vogue knew it wasn't the end. How did things go inside, Claire? Really well. We finished right when I predicted that we'd finish and did it with accuracy and transparency. But in this moment, she was also unaware the police escort to deliver the city's absentee ballot results less than a mile to the county courthouse would not be her last interaction with police. I really sincerely hope you get what's coming to you. You fraudulent f***. In the months that have followed, we're coming for you, Claire. Violent threats targeting Milwaukee's top elections chief. You rigged my f***ing election, you f***ing piece of s***. We're gonna try you, and we're gonna f***ing conduct your piece of s***, and we're gonna hang you. The death threats and endless streams of emails, some continue to this day. I live in a very safe neighborhood, and I'm having to worry about my safety because of what I do when I go to work every day. Is that something you ever thought about pre-2020? No, pre-2020, I would never think that I would be purchasing an alarm system to protect my safety because of my job. Now, more than a year after Election Day, 12 News has discovered urgent security changes underway across the state. And now, always locked door at the Milwaukee Election Commission and City Hall. Now, the tide is turned. Now, you know, we have to protect ourselves. Limited access and once unthinkable steps underway in Dane County. Safeguards we found needed for not just big democratic cities, but rural Republican areas too. I'm probably more of the person that kind of looks over the shoulder a little bit more and everything because I'm not quite sure. Fondalac County Clerk Lisa Freiburg, a Republican, says the barrage of conspiracy theories and calls to decertify the 2020 presidential results haven't subsided. She's now further locked down her office, despite metal detectors already in place. We unfortunately, in Fondalac County, did have a couple places where people, when they saw that we do use Dominion equipment, they tore their ballot up and walked out of the polling location. This past April? Yes. Wow. At this point, is there anything you can tell them that will give them confidence in the system? No. The threats in Milwaukee. You get the **** out of my country, you pile of ****. Perhaps the worst statewide have gotten the attention of both Milwaukee police and the FBI. This is a coordinated attack. This is an attack on democracy. And now in an unprecedented move, election officials and groups like the Brennan Center for Justice, which has tracked threats nationwide, are demanding the FBI immediately step in ahead of the midterms. Now less than a year away. It's time to do something about it before it gets worse. Sometimes they wait for things to get too bad and the damage is already done. In Milwaukee, no arrests have been made. MPD says the violent threats haven't violated any state or local laws, leaving some clerks feeling helpless and now pleading with federal officials before it's too late. The Justice Department has created a task force to address the rising threats targeting election officials. A spokesperson says the agency continues to work with local law enforcement, but would not confirm whether any federal arrests have been made nationwide.