Maricopa County election official relocated on election day due to threats

(KYMA, KECY/ CNN) - An election official in Arizona spent election night at an undisclosed location, because of threats to his safety.

That's according to the spokesperson for Bill Gates, the Republican Chairman of Maricopa County's Board of Supervisors.

Gates was under protection of the Sheriff's Office until the day after the midterms earlier this month.

The extra security came after someone posted what's described as a specific threat against him on social media.

Gates publicly pushed back against unproven Republican claims that there were issues with elections in his county. He also posted videos on Twitter, answering questions about the election process.

Maricopa County did experience issues with printers at some polling stations, but a judge ruled that didn't prevent anyone for voting.

The county has been a hotbed of election conspiracy theories since former President Donald Trump lost in 2020.

Its spokesperson says there's been an uptick in threats against other election officials this year.