Trained Non-partisan Volunteers Will Ensure Fair Voting Access on Election Day (Illinois)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 22, 2024
CONTACT:
Zindy Marquez
Director of Communications
Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights
312.202.3657 (office)
zmarquez@clccrul.org
Trained Non-partisan Volunteers Will Ensure Fair Voting Access on Election Day
Voters can call the toll-free, non-partisan Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) for assistance or to report issues
CHICAGO, IL, OCTOBER 22, 2024: As misinformation continues to spread ahead of the November 5th General Election, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights is stepping up efforts to ensure that all eligible voters have access to trustworthy information and can cast their ballots without facing barriers. On Election Day, non-partisan legal volunteers will take calls on the Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE and answer questions from voters. In addition, non-partisan poll watchers trained by Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights will be deployed in several Illinois counties.
“With misinformation threatening to confuse voters and suppress turnout, Election Protection serves as a critical resource, ensuring that every eligible voter has access to a safe and informed voting experience,” said Cliff Helm, Senior Counsel with the Midwest Voting Rights Program at Chicago Lawyers’ Committee. “Our volunteers will be actively addressing false information and safeguarding the right to vote.”
Since 2001, the Election Protection coalition has fought against disenfranchisement and promoted fairness in elections. The coalition mobilizes thousands of volunteer attorneys nationwide to uphold voting laws and provide non-partisan information to voters. In Illinois and Indiana, Chicago Lawyers' Committee helps lead Election Protection efforts, with a focus on dismantling systemic barriers that disproportionately impact marginalized communities.
"Our efforts ensure that every eligible voter, particularly those from historically disenfranchised communities, can exercise their right to vote," said Conner Kozisek, Equal Justice Works Fellow (sponsored by ADM and Troutman Pepper) at Chicago Lawyers' Committee. "Our non-partisan poll watcher program also helps to respond to and monitor problems related to polling place and ballot access on Election Day.”
In addition to traditional polling locations, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee, in partnership with Chicago Votes and Speak Up and Vote, will be monitoring temporary polling places at jails and detention facilities to ensure that people in pre-trial detention can still exercise their right to vote. In Cook County, Will County, and Lake County, voters who are held in pre-trial detention now have meaningful access to the ballot because of in-person polling locations in those facilities.
Today, the national Election Protection program provides resources, including several language hotlines and voter protection field programs with trained legal volunteers, and digital outreach tools to serve voters.
Hotlines:
English: 866-OUR-VOTE
Spanish/English: 888-VE-Y-VOTA
Arabic/English: 844-YALLA-US
Asian Languages (Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Urdu, Hindi, and Bengali)/English: 888-API-VOTE
Digital outreach tools, including 866ourvote.org, @866ourVote, and facebook.com/866OurVote
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About Chicago Lawyers’ Committee
Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights is a non-partisan, non-profit group of civil rights lawyers and advocates working to secure racial equity and economic opportunity for all. We provide legal representation through partnerships with the private bar, and we collaborate with grassroots organizations and other advocacy groups to implement community-based solutions that advance civil rights. For more information, visit www.clccrul.org.