"Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters."

–Abraham Lincoln

Warnings about the November 3 elections grow louder every day. Threats to jail local and state election officials who do not abide by the Trump administration’s Executive Orders; and suggestions that ICE agents and even the military will be sent to the polls have intensified. This would violate federal laws existing for 150 years.

Registered voters may face obstacles casting their ballots. The fear – once unthinkable – that voting across the country will be suspended has been voiced by current and former lawmakers. 

The list of troubling developments grows longer:

• President Trump's insistence that Congress pass the SAVE Act, which would require every citizen to reregister by bringing documents (passports, birth or naturalization certificates) to an election office. The time and cost to provide these documents would be prohibitive for many.
• Recent firings of Democratic members of the Independent Election Assistance Commission and resignation of a Republican member after facing pressure to quit 
• Spread of false information about the integrity of elections, e.g., specious claims that more than 250,000 non-citizens are on voter rolls. 
• Efforts to construct a federal voter data base that would use citizens’ sensitive personal information – thus violating federal privacy laws – to construct a list then used to purge voter rolls. 
• Threats by the Homeland Security Secretary to investigate and imprison state and local officials accused of not complying with Trump administration efforts to change election laws. 
• Trump’s request to the Supreme Court to allow an Executive Order that restricts vote-by-mail to remain in place until the Court rules on those proposed changes – even if the Court waits until after the midterms. 
• Hints that the federal government might take over – or prevent – the November elections on the outlandish premise of countering foreign interference or preventing a wave of non-citizens from voting. 

We at ClassACT HR73 urge everyone to make a plan to vote. Do what you can to ensure the midterm elections on November 3rd remain accessible to all citizens. Exercising our right to vote is the right on which all others rest. Together we buttress a democracy that has survived revolution, civil war, and a global struggle against fascism. Extend our nation’s freedom by encouraging fellow citizens to vote.

Our Resource Guide below shares the volunteer experiences of classmates as well as links to important non-profit, non-partisan resources.

PROTECT OUR DEMOCRACY, PROTECT YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE 

RESOURCE GUIDE

Click to access and print resource guide

“The most important thing we can all do in the face of such a campaign is to double down on democracy. We must vote. We must make a plan to do so, and we must help our family, neighbors, and friends do the same.”

– Hayne Yoon, Brennan Center Senior Counsel

Photo from www.acludc.org

1. BEFORE THE ELECTION

• Vote411  and Rock the Vote provide state by state information to register, validate your registration, and determine where to vote.

• Check your state for Early Voting dates, and your local community for the location of Ballot Drop Boxes. 

• Non-profit, non-partisan organizations help coordinate grass roots efforts to get out the vote. Writing postcards, phone banking, or volunteering to work at the polls makes the struggle to preserve democracy tangible and gratifying.

“What I love about phone banking is the relatively unfiltered opportunity to interact with potential voters from a broad swath of the American population.”

– Vivian Lewis '73

• Canvas in your community for your candidates of choice.

“Talking with neighbors and fellow citizens about the importance of voting while canvassing unites us all around a Constitutional right for which Americans have fought and died.”

– Jacki Swearingen '73

• Volunteer for “Help Lines” at voteriders.org to support voters by answering questions about Voter ID, registration, poll locations, etc. as well as write letters and text. 

• Join in the effort to encourage all eligible citizens to cast their votes in November. Check out Common Cause for ways to increase voter participation, and Democracy Forward’s The People’s Guide to Voting Rights.

2. ELECTION DAY

• Volunteer to be a Poll Worker or Poll Watcher. Poll Workers ensure the legitimacy of elections from the time they start checking in voters to when they secure ballots after voting ends. Find out the qualifications and sign up in your local community.

• Poll Watchers or Election Observers observe different steps in the voting process and report irregularities to election officials. The guidelines vary by state.

“I have worked as a volunteer poll monitor and visited polling sites to ‘ensure that bilingual ballots and interpreters were available to voters as was required under the law.’ After becoming a judge, I could still take part in elections as a non-partisan poll worker. Poll workers are ‘vital’ to making ‘American elections work.’”

–Marilyn Go ’73

• Many voters lack transportation to get to the polls. Form a carpool, or volunteer with organizations such as VoteRun.

• If you are turned away from the polls, ask for a provisional ballot and call the Election Protection Hotline for immediate legal assistance. English: 1-866-Our-Vote. Spanish: 888-VE-Y-VOTA. Assistance available in other languages as well. 

3. AFTER THE ELECTION

• If you vote by mail or absentee ballot, track your ballot. 

2026 VOTING ACTIVISM OPPORTUNITIES SPREADSHEET

Created by Marilyn Go '73, this spreadsheet lists non-profit organizations that focus on voting and voter participation. The list includes national and state organizations as well as those that concentrate on particular areas of interest.

Click to view

Don't forget to check out our Previous alerts below!

ClassACTion Voting Alert 2: Vote for the Arts!
July 13, 2026

ClassACTion Voting Alert 1: To Vote or Not To Vote
May 15, 2026