September 17, 2020
Ways to Stay Engaged While You Stay Home: September 17 Edition
KENNEDY FREEMAN Network Advancement Associate
During these unprecedented times, ACS continues to provide a virtual forum for our network to engage and work toward a Constitution that is truly “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” Here are some ways to help you stay engaged while in-person events are canceled. Do you have ideas we should include in future editions? Let us know by emailing info@acslaw.org!
Check Your Voter Registration Status: Go to vote.org to check your voter registration status! If you plan on voting by mail, be sure to check out new guidance from USPS on mailing in your ballot here.
Voter Suppression and Advocacy Training: ACS and our coalition partner, All Voting is Local, hosted trainings for our members on voter suppression and advocacy. These trainings covered the history of voter suppression, what voter suppression looks like today, and how we can fight for voting rights with advocacy tactics to ensure greater access to voting in the time of COVID and racial injustice. Learn more about the speakers and watch the briefing call recording here.
Help Monitor Voter Cyber Suppression this Election Season. Every election year, thousands of Election Protection volunteers mobilize at polling places nationwide. These trained, nonpartisan volunteers serve as voters’ first line of defense against rampant disinformation and misinformation, among other election concerns. But this year is a little different. In the wake of COVID-19, Election Protection efforts are moving to kitchen tables and living rooms, and helping voters by monitoring social media for misinformation and disinformation. Become a nonpartisan social media monitor this election season! With support from Common Cause staff, you’ll assist voters with questions they post online, as well as correct misinformation and disinformation on major social media platforms. If you would like to volunteer or learn more, email LCEmails@acslaw.org.
Volunteer with the Voter Empowerment Task Force: The Voter Empowerment Task Force is building a network of lawyers to defend and assist people who may be criminalized for lawful voting activity. Volunteer lawyers will help those who are targeted for participating in activities such as registering people to vote, helping people get absentee ballots, organizing rides to the polls, and more. Lawyers are needed across the country, but especially in the following states: AZ, FL, GA, ME, MI, MN, NC, NV, OH, PA, TX, WI. If you would like to volunteer or learn more, email Ashley Erickson at aerickson@acslaw.org.
Election Day Class Cancellation: With the majority of classes held virtually this semester, there is a renewed opportunity to create space for students and other members of your law school community to engage on election day and to coordinate opportunities for poll working and voter protection work. Check out the Blueprint for Cancelling Classes on Election Day and reach out to Molly Greene at mgreene@acslaw.org to learn more about how you can establish a day of civic service at your school!
Sign up to be a Poll Worker: ACS is partnering with Power the Polls to recruit volunteers to address the critical shortage of poll workers in jurisdictions around the country. Sign up here! When you sign up, you’ll get connected to your local election office so you can learn more about serving as a poll worker.