Voting is the most important thing we can do to safeguard our rights in a democracy. Unfortunately, dozens of states are passing new laws to make it more difficult for citizens to cast their ballots. The following organizations offer online tools so citizens can register to vote, preview their local ballots, find their polling locations or information about voting by mail and much more:
First-time voter checklist:
1. Register to vote here
2. Find your polling place here
3. See what’s on your ballot here
4. Determine whether you need identification to vote here
5. VOTE
6. If you have any problems voting, call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683). Intimidation, coercion and threats are illegal.
7. Understand your voting rights, including what to do if offered a provisional ballot, etc.
The ACLU put together this quick list of voters’ rights:
- If the polls close while you’re still in line, stay in line. You have the right to vote.
- If you make a mistake on your ballot, ask for a new one.
- If the machines are down at your polling place, ask for a paper ballot.
- If you run into any problems or have questions on Election Day, call the Election Protection Hotline: English: 1-866-OUR-VOTE / 1-866-687-8683; Spanish: 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA / 1-888-839-8682; Arabic: 1-844-YALLA-US / 1-844-925-5287; For Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Urdu, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, or Vietnamese: 1-888-274-8683
- Nationwide, our attorneys are monitoring today’s elections and are ready to step in to protect you at the polls and ensure every vote is counted, no matter what.
- Remember, Election Day might not be results day – and that’s normal. With absentee ballots, mail-in ballots, and other considerations, it takes time for state elections officials to count every vote.
Essential voter information websites:
Ballotpedia is a nonprofit organization that strives to be the digital encyclopedia of American politics, offering unbiased information on elections, politics and policy. Preview your ballot before each election via the Sample Ballot Lookup.
Rock the Vote was founded by music executives in 1990 to address censorship and bolster the underrepresented youth vote. This nonpartisan nonprofit has been a force in registering young voters, who are increasingly the target of voter suppression efforts, from strict voter ID laws to removing polling sites from college campuses. Rock the Vote offers state-by-state voter registration information on its How to Vote page. And the Democracy Explainers provide fantastic teaching tools.
Vote.org launched in 2008 as an online resource for absentee ballot information, the website seeks to simplify political engagement to increase voter turnout and strengthen American democracy. Find regularly updated, state-by-state election information and a primer on Your Rights as a Voter.
VOTE411.org was launched by the League of Women Voters Education Fund in 2006 as a “one-stop-shop” for information on absentee ballots, local ballot measures, early voting options, polling locations, registration and voting requirements and factual data on candidates in various federal, state and local races. They also offer a handy Checklist for First-Time Voters.
VoteAmerica.com builds technology to simplify political engagement, increase voter turnout and strengthen American democracy for all eligible voters. The handy Election Deadlines page shows the deadlines for voter registration, absentee and mail ballots, and early voting in every state.
270toWin.com If you’re interested in America’s Electoral College system, which requires a presidential candidate to win 270 electoral college votes to become President of the United States, this is a good place to start. It was launched on the heels of the 2000 election, when the nationwide popular vote winner did not become president. 270toWin offers an interactive mapping tool and aggregates polls, professional election projections and election news. Visitors can create and share their own election forecasts.
Information for poll workers:
Power the Polls was launched in June 2020 by a coalition of businesses and nonprofits seeking to recruit a new wave of poll workers in the midst of a nationwide poll-worker shortage caused in part by the coronavirus pandemic. This nonprofit relies on objective data about poll worker requirements and applications collected from more than 5,000 jurisdictions assembled by the non-partisan Fair Elections Center.
Groups fighting for voting rights and democracy:
American Civil Liberties Union, founded in 1920, works in the courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people by the Constitution and laws of the United States.
Brennan Center for Justice. Inspired by Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan Jr.’s devotion to core democratic freedoms, the Center works to strengthen democracy, end mass incarceration and protect liberty and security. It fights against outdated registration and voting systems that keep people from the polls and promotes solutions, including automatic voter registration and early voting, to make it easier for eligible Americans to register and to vote.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. This non-partisan legal watchdog group, founded in 2003, uses legal action and aggressive research to highlight violations of the law and abuses of power by elected officials. One recent lawsuit it brought resulted in a Jan. 6 insurrectionist being removed from office as a county commissioner citing the Constitution’s 14th Amendment.
Fair Fight Action promotes fair elections around the country, encourages voter participation and educates voters about elections and their voting rights. Fair Fight Action also advocates for election reform at all levels.
FairVote. This nonprofit advocates for reforms including ranked-choice voting, non-gerrymandered districts and more civil political campaigns. The website offers great information on where, why and how ranked-choice voting is being implemented.
Voting Rights Lab. This nonprofit advocates for free and fair elections via expert analysis, research and innovation. Track election-related legislation and existing laws in all 50 states and D.C. in the State Voting Rights Tracker.
Must-reads about the state of voting in our democracy:
Protecting Democracy from Armed Intimidation: A Guide for States. In advance of the 2022 midterm elections, The Giffords Law Center has produced a report on what to do when when far-right candidates for office are using violent rhetoric to whip up support among extremists and how to begin protecting democratic participation from armed extremism.
