meyling, Theresa, and 52 others support this project.
Common Cause Texas

Election Protection Poll Monitoring

These trained, nonpartisan volunteers serve as voters’ first line of defense.

Posted August 20, 2024

Background & Context

Every eligible voter deserves to have their vote counted.
That’s the cornerstone of our democracy. And we all suffer when eligible, registered voters are turned away from the polls, unable to find their polling place, or otherwise blocked from exercising their rights.

That’s why every election year, we recruit, train, and deploy thousands of Election Protection volunteers across the nation. These trained, nonpartisan volunteers serve as voters’ first line of defense against confusing voting rules, outdated infrastructure, rampant misinformation, and needless obstacles to the ballot box.

With misinformation running rampant on social media and thousands of proposed new anti-voter restrictions, we need our programs to match or exceed that effort in every election this year. This is simply an unprecedented time for our elections, and that’s why we’re asking for your help today.

Work & Deliverables


Stationary Poll Monitors will set up outside designated polling locations to assist voters and report problems to the helpline.

Roving Poll Monitors will visit multiple polling locations to check for issue—long lines, voter intimidation, and accessibility—and quickly deploy to polling locations when problems are reported to the helpline.

Coming Soon! For lawyers interested in supporting our efforts in Texas but who may not be able to be present at a polling location, we're developing a social media monitoring program. Details about this initiative will be posted on We The Action once it's available.

Project Plan

Preparation Phase

  • Attend a raining
  • Requesting a t-shirt
  • Signing up for slack
  • Signing up for a shift

Collaboration Phase

  • Attend volunteer shift.
  • Help voters with any questions they may have.

Wrap Up

  • Submit poll site checklist.
meyling, Theresa, and 52 others support this project.

Additional Information

  • Time Commitment: 1-5 hours
  • Training Provided: Yes
  • Additional Training Details: Every poll monitor volunteer must attend an hour and a half training. There will be several staff members available to serve as support during a volunteer shift.
  • Site-Preference: On-Site
  • Open to Law Students: Yes
  • Bar License(s) required: Any Bar License
  • Required Languages: None
  • Required Legal Expertise: None
  • Signup Deadline: November 2, 2024
  • Deliverables Due: November 5, 2024
  • Mentoring Provided: No
  • Supervision Provided: Yes

Locations

  • TX
Common Cause Texas

We put our proven policy expertise, our network of grassroots supporters, and our nonpartisan approach into action to strengthen our democracy against the challenges it faces today. We work across Texas on priorities that impact each of our lives—like defending the right to vote, holding our government more accountable, promoting transparency, and more.

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