HUC VOTER ACCESS PROJECT
One of the initiatives our Racial Diversity and Inclusion Committee has taken on is making sure voters, and particularly voters of color, have access to the polls this November. We have assembled a short list of different ways that you can get involved below. These are all nonpartisan efforts to increase voter access that do not endorse any candidate or political party. We will update you with further opportunities if we hear about them (keep an eye on our Facebook page too!)
PHONE BANKING: Center for Common Ground: Reclaim our Vote Campaign (at home)
Eligible voters of color are being purged from voter rolls at a much higher rate than white voters. People in minority communities were already struggling to reach the voting booth in voter-suppression states. In 2020 target states are North Carolina, Texas, Arizona, Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia. Get started here.
POLL WORKING: Power to the Polls (in person)
America is facing a massive shortage of poll workers. Most poll workers are 61 or older, and many are concerned about the pandemic. Workers get PPE, training and get paid. Sign up to be a poll worker. In Massachusetts you can apply to be a poll worker in your own community or in any city or town in the Commonwealth. The Secretary of State’s website has a full list of localities that need poll workers and election officials’ contact information is included there. Consider signing up in communities around us that may need more support: Quincy, Randolph, Brockton.
POLL-MONITORING: Common Cause or ACLU (in person or at home)
Nonpartisan Election Protection volunteers will be voters’ first line of defense against restrictive election laws, coronavirus-related voting disruptions, or anything else that could silence their voices. Common Cause will help you find the best way to get involved — whether that’s monitoring polling places (from your vehicle, or with proper personal safety equipment), watchdogging social media for disinformation, or reaching out to voters to make sure they know their rights. You’ll connect voters with trained legal professionals who can help them navigate the voting process and cast their ballots safely and securely.
Sign up here for Common Cause’s program
Sign up here for ACLU’s program
Finally … Know Your Rights in Massachusetts
The ACLU put together a helpful document here, that outlines important election dates and voter’s rights in the state. Use this as a resource for yourself and share it broadly so others are aware of their rights at the polls.