POLL WORKER RECRUITMENT Your Be the Judge

1. POLL WORKER RECRUITMENTYour Be the Judge and

2. ABOUT US A national hub of voter engagement resources and trainings to help nonprofits integrate nonpartisan voter participation into ongoing activities and services. Find more about our mission and partners on our website: www.nonprofitvote.org About Us

3. Today’s presenters Jenny Rose Flanagan Director of Voting and Elections Common Cause Who

4. When we vote, we are all equal

5. US History:Voting Rights Expansion

6. Voting Rights Retrenchment Since the beginning of 2011, 41 states have introduced legislation or enacted laws that would curb access to voting in some way. Source: Brennan Center for Justice, 2012 Summary of Voting Law Changes

9. Government Suppression Efforts Voter suppression comes in the form of government action, such as legislation • Requiring Strict Voter ID • Limiting Voter Registration • Requiring Proof of Citizenship • Shortening Early Voting

10. Bullies at the Ballot Box • Voter Intimidation and Deceptive Practices • Election Day challenges to voters eligibility

11. Common issues on Election Day  Confusion over where to vote • Accessibility for people with disabilities • Use/misuse of provisional ballots • Problems with voter registration • Voting machine failures • Long Lines due to new laws

12. Be a Poll Worker

13. Poll Workers • Well-trained election workers is the most effective way to ensure that every eligible vote is able to be counted. Election officials and the workers behind the desk are the key to a smooth and successful Election Day • In many areas, translators are also needed to assist non-English speaking voters by translating voting information and answering questions.

14. Poll Workers • Work with county election staff at the polls • Check Voter IDs, give out ballots, prepare voting locations • Receive training from the county • Receive a small stipend from the county for your work • Work on Election Day (12-14 hours)

15. Poll Workers • Properly implement ID requirement to ensure voters can case a regular ballot. • Help voters get to the correct precinct so her/his ballot can ultimately be counted. • Election workers can head off and diffuse inappropriate challenges to individuals’ rights to cast their ballots.   • Dispel voter confusion, particularly in states that recently enacted restrictive legislation. 

16. Election Protection Coalition Nationwide non partisan program designed to assist voters and document problems • Toll free hotlines: 1-866-OUR-VOTE and 1-888-Ve-Y-Vota • Coordinates legal and non-legal field programs at targeted polling places • Solves problems and litigates where necessary • Collects data about voters’ experiences

17. Be a Poll Monitor • Monitor election activities from outside the polling area • Answer voter questions • Refer voters to the hotline if there are problems • Alert the hotline if you see or hear from voters about intimidation • Talk to voters about their experience in voting

18. Get Involved! • Your nonprofit can help protect the vote; • Instill a sense of civic duty • Ensure that poll workers represent the communities we care about by encouraging staff, volunteers, and constituents to serve as poll workers.

19. Our responsibility, our duty • Voting is the right our democracy is built on! It is something that links us all together as Americans. Generations of men and women have laid down their lives to protect this right, both in war and in our struggles for civil rights. • Now it is our turn!

20. www.nonprofitvote.org MORE RESOURCES Resources

21. Support voting! www.nonprofitvote.org/support-voting.html Resources

22. resources • Factsheets, Guides, Toolkits and more available at www.nonprofitvote.org Resources

23. For more information:Jenny FlanaganDirector of Voting and ElectionsCommon Causejflanagan@commoncause.org303-454-3369www.commoncause.orgto sign up email pollworkers@commoncause.org