VOTER PROTECTION

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JOIN VOTER PROTECTION EFFORTS FOR ELECTION DAY…
ANYONE CAN DO IT!

WHAT IS VOTER PROTECTION?

After many months of registering voters and getting them out to vote, we must make sure that they can all cast their votes when they get to the polls. That is the job of VOTER PROTECTION, and it is a rewarding and extremely important effort. As a voter protection volunteer, you work at a polling site to resolve problems as they occur; you are the Obama campaign’s eyes and ears on the ground, and a critical part of making sure that every citizen can vote.

WHAT PROBLEMS WOULD I HANDLE?

POTENTIAL ISSUES ON ELECTION DAY:

  • If a voter is not listed in the registration book, you can inform him or her of the right to vote by affidavit (paper) ballot.
  • If a voter is listed, but is incorrectly told that he or she needs ID to vote, you can make sure that she or he gets to vote on the voting machine without having to leave to get ID.
  • If a voting machine breaks, you can make sure that people get to vote on emergency (paper) ballots, and that the Board of Elections quickly sends someone to repair the machine.
  • If voters are being intimidated inside or outside the polling place, you can contact an election lawyer to resolve the problem.
  • If voters are on line when the polls are scheduled to close, you can make sure they are allowed to vote and not turned away.
  • If a new or disabled voter does not know how to vote, or a non-English speaker can not read the ballot, you can make sure appropriate help is provided.

These and many other issues arise frequently in New York and every other state. With massive expected turnout and a close election, EVERY vote you save can make a difference. Many voters do not know their rights, and many poll workers are overworked or undertrained – every voter that you help is tremendously grateful to you for preserving their individual right to vote.

WHAT ELSE SHOULD I KNOW?

If you are available for a few hours or all day on Election Day, please volunteer.

No experience is needed!

We provide training (a couple of hours prior to Election Day; CLE credit is available to lawyers), a comprehensive voter protection guidebook, and a hotline number staffed by election lawyers for more complicated questions.

WHERE CAN I SIGN UP?

For NEW YORK STATE: http://www.nydlc.org

For ANY OTHER STATE: http://my.barackobama.com/CounselForChange

Someone will contact you about a month before Election Day about specific assignments and training schedules.

If you have questions, you can contact Debbie Cooper of the New York Democratic Lawyers Council at debra.cooper@nydlc.org