Nonpartisan Open Democracy works to keep elections FAIR for all, and to and allow all eligible voters to exercise their RIGHT to vote.  This year, our work is more important than ever.

In the last two weeks before the 2020 election, we are mobilizing our Regional Democracy Teams, volunteers from Protect the Vote, and Open Democracy supporters to form an Election Protection Task Force to observe the election in and around their home towns. 

This Sunday night, Oct. 18, 7 p.m. via Zoom and phone, we are holding an information session and training for all interested citizens to help protect the vote.   We ask that you sign up in advance for what we expect to be a 60 to 90 minute discussion and training. 

Below are the roles in the task force, both from home and at local in-person locations.  When you register for the meeting, please tell us what role, or roles, fit your schedule and situation best.    

• Pre-Election Checklist/Absentee Pre-Processing Monitors - (Inide, in person, your local town hall)  Final Supervisors of the Checklist meetings are required 6-13 days prior to the election and decisions and voters can use that opportunity to register.   Then beginning the Thursday before election day, pre-processing of absentee ballots begins.   In both these cases, your job is to listen and observe, making sure everyone follows the rules.  Recently, a person's registration was briefly rejected due an Arabic-sounding name, despite having all of the proper voting documentation.   
• Pre-Election/Election Day Media Monitors -  (from home)  Monitoring news media and social media for misinformation and disinformation, and amplifying positive posts  (in-home activity).   We need citizens to monitor their local newspapers and radio for mistakes on voting information, and monitor local Facebook and other social media groups to identify errors and report any disinformation intended to suppress the vote.   We are teamed up with Common Cause to evaluate and report this information.
• Election Day Roaming monitors - (Outdoors, In person, towns around you)   You'll be traveling around to several towns to monitor outside the polls activities, talking with voters and visibility folks outside the polls.  Looking for voter suppression/intimidation issues, logistical issues, and reporting to the SOS, AG or other authorities as necessary.
• Election Day Poll Observers  -  (Inside, in person, your town's polls) Stationed inside the polls, looking for voter suppression, violations of mask policies, inconsistent or incorrect rules, or disenfranchising of voters. 

If you haven't been able to participate in the Regional Democracy Teams, this is an excellent, short-term action that is SO VERY IMPORTANT to the integrity of our election.  

• Below, tell us in which Election Protection Task Force role you'd be interested, using the job descriptions above.
  

• After saving your choice, a confirmation email will come with training links and resources to prepare you for helping.

• We'll be in touch shortly via our "Protect the Vote" Google Group

• When you're done, you'll be sent to our Election Protection Task Force training and tools page