Republicans who are running to be secretary of state in Wisconsin and Minnesota in primaries Tuesday are repeating Donald Trump’s false claims about the last presidential election and they've suggested they want more authority over how elections are run, especially in Democratic-leaning counties.

Lawmakers in a handful of states are seeking greater protections for election officials amid growing concerns for their safety after they were targeted by threats of violence following the 2020 presidential election.

FILE - In this March 6, 2012, file photo, officials preside over the annual town meeting in Bethel, Vt. The COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting New England town meetings in 2021, a tradition where citizens gather to debate and decide on local issues. AdBut others counter that the challenges of getting people together during town meeting, virus or no, restrict the number of people who can participate. “We need face-to-face, empowered deliberations,” said Middlesex town meeting moderator Susan Clark. AdIn Massachusetts, where some of the first New England town meetings were established in the 1630s, 300 of 351 municipalities continue to hold town meetings in some form, according to Secretary of State William Galvin’s office.

Unlike its private competitors, the Postal Service cannot refuse to make costly deliveries to especially hard-to-reach addresses. Amid the pandemic, however, the Postal Service lost $4.5 billion in fiscal year 2020's second quarter. Since then, though, the Postal Service and the Treasury Department have had discussions about requirements to actually extend those loans. A 2018 Treasury Department task force also recommended the Postal Service increase package rates and cut labor costs. The Postal Service consistently ranks as Americans' favorite federal agency, with recent approval ratings topping 90%.