Hundreds of North Carolina A&T students marched 40 minutes to an off-campus early-voting site after unsuccessful protests and litigation seeking campus voting locations. Students at the University of Texas at Arlington organized transportation and a march after their polling place was removed, while New Hampshire students and voting-rights advocates challenged a law excluding student IDs. Students also organized rides, canvassing and Election Day outreach..
Democracy & Elections/Voting
Nonpartisan Voter Education/Engagement/Support
Litigation/Court Challenge
Peaceful Protest/Demonstration
An interfaith coalition is training and certifying clergy members and lay volunteers to serve as “poll chaplains” and peacekeepers during the November 3 election. As of October 19, Faiths United in Saving Democracy said it had recruited 1,235 volunteers for polling locations in nine states. Participants receive instruction in de-escalation, immigrant rights and whom to contact when problems arise. Wearing identifying clothing, they plan to remain outside polling places, offer reassurance to voters and report possible intimidation or dangerous situations rather than intervene physically. The Associated Press
The initiative originated largely within the Black church but now includes Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Quaker leaders, along with secular participants. Organizers describe it as strictly nonpartisan: volunteers are there to protect people’s ability to vote, not promote candidates or challenge ballots.
Democracy & Elections/Voting
Nonpartisan Election Observer/Monitor
Approximately 60 residents attended a Boyle Heights training on recognizing, documenting and reporting possible voter suppression. Participants were taught to encourage voters to remain in line, understand their First Amendment rights and report problems through appropriate channels. About 20 attendees signed up to monitor polling locations as neighborhood vote protectors. Similar trainings are being organized elsewhere in California.
Democracy & Elections/Voting
Nonpartisan Voter Education/Engagement/Support
Nonpartisan Election Observer/Monitor
The Missouri Voter Protection Coalition trains hundreds of volunteers to observe polling places and staffs the nonpartisan 866-OUR-VOTE hotline with attorneys and legal professionals. Volunteers help voters address accessibility barriers, misinformation, intimidation, identification questions and other problems while relaying operational issues to election officials.
Democracy & Elections/Voting
Coalition Building/Community Organizing
Nonpartisan Voter Education/Engagement/Support
Nonpartisan Election Observer/Monitor
Residents participated in No Kings rallies around the country as part of a coordinated effort to encourage early voting in the November midterm elections. At the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, hundreds gathered with signs promoting early voting and protecting the vote; Atlanta participants similarly urged people to cast ballots and encourage others to participate. (Although unaffiliated with a political party and promoted as nonpartisan, the No Kings movement explicitly opposes President Trump and draws primarily from progressive and pro-democracy organizations.) The events continued the No Kings movement’s opposition to the Trump administration but shifted much of the emphasis from protest to electoral participation. Organizers sought to channel the energy generated by earlier demonstrations into voting and protection of the democratic process.
Democracy & Elections/Voting
Nonpartisan Voter Education/Engagement/Support
Peaceful Protest/Demonstration
The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and its Black Women’s Roundtable launched the “Power of the Sister Vote” tour on October 13, the first day of early voting in Georgia. Organized with approximately 40 national and state partners, the campaign plans activities in nine states through Election Day: Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and South Carolina.
The Black women-led effort seeks to increase participation among Black women, men, young adults and families through voter education, community outreach, early-voting events, phone banks, canvassing and election-protection training. Georgia activities included a tour launch at an early-voting location and scheduled poll-monitor training, rallies, phone banking and community canvassing. Organizers characterize the campaign as nonpartisan and focused on helping eligible voters obtain the information and support needed to participate.
Democracy & Elections/Voting
Coalition Building/Community Organizing
Nonpartisan Voter Education/Engagement/Support
Approximately 50 residents attended a nonpartisan poll-monitor training near the state Capitol. They learned Colorado election law, how to assist voters through a national hotline and how to document or report intimidation, immigration enforcement and other problems. They are part of an anticipated statewide network of approximately 1,000 volunteers.
Democracy & Elections/Voting
Nonpartisan Election Observer/Monitor
Community members, students, faith leaders and civil-rights advocates gathered at Seattle’s Garfield High School and marched to the King County Courthouse for a Constitution Day event focused on voting rights and civic participation. Organizers used the march to examine the gap between the Constitution’s promises and the historical experience of Black Americans, encourage voting and remind young people that they can participate in civic life even before they are eligible to vote. Participants were also invited to sign civic pledges and remain involved in local elections, school-board races and community organizing after Election Day.
Democracy & Elections/Voting
Civic Education/Engagement
Nonpartisan Voter Education/Engagement/Support
Peaceful Protest/Demonstration
Observe New Mexico Elections recruited 45 nonpartisan citizen volunteers to observe the state’s June primary. Volunteers monitored voting-machine certification, poll-worker training, absentee and in-person voting, vote counting and results certification across all 33 counties.
Their report characterized the election as generally orderly and well administered but identified specific concerns. Most notably, observers reported that poll workers at one rural location required voters to present identification even though New Mexico law generally does not require it. The organization recommended updated training to bring local procedures into compliance with state law.
Democracy & Elections/Voting
Nonpartisan Election Observer/Monitor
An anonymous Department of Homeland Security employee made a protected disclosure alleging that officers were directed to access state voter databases despite legal concerns and create federal records using information they believed could be unreliable.
Government Transparency & Accountability
Reporting Government Wrongdoing/Neglect
A broad range of interfaith leaders across 8 states are using places of worship as "democracy hubs" to gather signatures for letters urging public officials to pledge to protect fair voter access. They also plan to provide non-partisan voter education and registration assistance, and voting support.
Democracy & Elections/Voting
Coalition Building/Community Organizing
Nonpartisan Voter Education/Engagement/Support
Letter-Writing Campaign
