When lawmakers return from their August recess next month, Congress will have only a handful of days to pass a budget and avoid a government shutdown on October 1. Last-minute faceoffs have become a routine exercise on Capitol Hill, but the stakes this year extend beyond the federal bureaucracy. As part of the rough-and-tumble of trying to pass the next spending bill, Democrats are desperately pushing to incorporate another crucial priority: protecting state and local election workers. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The agenda item has taken on increased significance as of late.