Publications

Protect the Vote

Following is a Joint Statement on the Election and Protecting the Vote that was recently published by numerous individuals and organizations directly involved with voter protection issues. The sponsors are listed at the end of this article.

You've probably heard a lot about how this year's election could be "stolen" because of potential problems on Election Day. Even though many of these concerns are legitimate, there simply is not enough time to fix a lot of the problems. The real danger is if we let fear of flawed election results get in the way of maximizing voter turnout.

After all, if voters don't go to the polls, this election will not be stolen; it will be given away. Here are a few things to remember:

  • Get Out and Vote, Vote Early...and Don't Forget Your ID. Whatever type of voting machines are being used, there's no excuse for not getting out and casting your ballot. If your state allows early voting, take advantage of it.
  • If you have any problems at the polling place, you should call the Election Protection hotline at (866) OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683, a toll-free call). Election Protection is a nationwide program run by civil rights and voting rights groups to safeguard your right to cast a ballot on Election Day.
  • Election officials need to keep testing electronic voting machines from now until Election Day, especially in counties where the election will be close. Election officials should also make all decisions involving voting machines open to the public.

Our groups will be keeping a close eye on how election officials prepare for the election and perform on Election Day. In the days left, we are committed to making sure that every voter will be heard.

Joint Statement on the Election and Protecting the Vote: Statement joined by Gov. Howard Dean, Prof. Avi Rubin, Prof. Peter Neumann, Prof. David Dill, ACORN, Advancement Project, AFL-CIO, American Families United Voter Protection Project, Brennan Center, Center for American Progress, Common Cause, Democracy for America, EPIC, LCCR — Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, MoveOn.org, NAACP, National Council of La Raza (NCLR), National Committee for Voting Integrity (NCVI), National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP), National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium (NAPALC), People for the American Way (PFAW), True Majority and Verified Voting Foundation.

Election Day Volunteers

The AFL-CIO has launched a large scale, multi-state mobilization effort to ensure that every eligible voter can vote on November 2 and that every vote is counted. The effort, called the "My Vote, My Right" Campaign, needs retirees to volunteer to work at the polls on Election Day. The more eyes we can have on the process, the more likely that people's voting rights won't be violated.

Very few jurisdictions have application deadlines for poll workers, so interested retirees are encouraged to contact their local election office right away to find out about volunteer opportunities. You can also sign up to volunteer by sending an e-mail to votingrights@aflcio.org.

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