#NANMOW2020

Commitment March Pre-Activities:
Vote & Answer the Census

Visit our partners' websites to find out more about their activities.

The Commitment March will take place on August 28th, 2020 — the 57th anniversary of the historic March on Washington, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech. Announced by Rev. Al Sharpton during George Floyd's memorial, it is co-convened by Martin Luther King, III. This intergenerational inclusive day of action will demonstrate our advocacy for comprehensive police accountability reform, the Census, and mobilizing voters for the November elections.

The Commitment March will comply with applicable federal and local requirements for physical distancing and protective equipment like face masks. Marchers will be required to wear masks to participate in the march. Free surgical masks will be provided on-site. Marchers who prefer professional respirators, such as N95 respirators, should bring their own.

Historic Moment, Historic Agenda

We are in a historic moment in the country, where the confluence of two pandemics COVID-19 and police brutality have uncovered the gross inequities that continue to persist in our society due to structural racism. It is time to redefine public safety to uproot systemic racism, inequity, and white supremacy. As such we must vigorously engage in the democratic process through the ballot box and census as a mechanism to achieving transformation.

To meet this moment, we propose encouraging voter engagement and census participation as levers in support of the following agenda.

Register to Vote

COVID-19 Voting Information

The national, nonpartisan Election Protection coalition works year-round to ensure that all voters have an equal opportunity to vote and have that vote count. Made up of more than 100 local, state, and national partners, Election Protection, uses a wide range of tools and activities to protect, advance, and defend the right to vote.

Election Protection provides Americans from coast to coast with comprehensive information and assistance at all stages of voting – from registration to absentee and early voting, to casting a vote at the polls, to overcoming obstacles to their participation.

Throughout the election cycle, our volunteers provide voter information, document problems they encounter when voting, and work with partners and volunteer on the ground to identify and remove barriers to voting. Election Protection focuses on the voter – not on the political horse race – and provides guidance, information, and help to any American, regardless of his or her voting choices.

Register Now

Fill Out Census 2020

Take a moment and get the facts about the 2020 Census and what it can mean for your community. Review the basics or take a deeper dive into all of the work it takes to conduct the 2020 count.

Complete Census 2020

Become A Poll Worker

A poll worker wearing protective gear assists a voter at Marshall High School in Milwaukee on April 7, 2020. A new study from the Brennan Center for Justice estimates that consolidating the city’s polling sites down to five from 182, and voter fears of contracting the coronavirus, depressed voting by 9.9 percentage points among non-Black voters and 15.9 percentage points among Black voters. Photo by Coburn Dukehart/Wisconsin Watch.

We are living in a global pandemic, COVID-19, that has impacted every single aspect of our lives and our elections have not been exempt. We witnessed the adverse impact of COVID-19 during the 2020 Primaries in Georgia, Wisconsin, and other states, where hundreds of polling places were closed or consolidated in part due to poll worker shortages. Further, Black voters experienced other voter suppression issues including long lines w/extreme wait times, issues with vote by mail, to name a few. In addition to the voter suppression issues amplified by COVID-19, there is a national shortage of over 250,000 poll workers needed across the country.

Poll workers are our first line of defense at the polls. A caring, well-trained, culturally competent poll worker can be the key to a voter having a positive or negative experience at the polls. Unfortunately, according to a 2020 Pew Research report of election administrators’ surveyed face 2 major challenges concerning poll workers:

1. In 2018, 68% of election administrators found it very or somewhat difficult to find enough poll workers
2. More than 58% of poll workers in America are 61 years or older, more than a quarter (27%) over 71. A population that has been particularly hit hard by COVID-19, that is causing a major shortage of poll workers for the 2020 Election cycle.

The Center for American Progress recommends, “states should embrace vote by mail and early voting to protect higher-risk populations from Coronavirus. Further, the U.S. News reported that the Corona-19 Pandemic is also having an adverse effect on voter registration, stating that “nearly 700,000 people registered to vote in January 2020, compared to almost 500,000 new registrants four years earlier. When the pandemic hit in March, the number declined to 600,000 and then plummeted to 200,000 in April. By contrast, about 700,000 new voters registered in both March and April of 2016. The substantial drop happened in a number of presidential battleground states including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.”

Poll workers play a crucial role in ensuring the strength and integrity of the voting process. They are the lifeblood of well-run polling places, and they help secure our rights as U.S. citizens. That is why we are calling on you to show your support for your community by becoming a poll worker.

As part of this process, you will:

Serve inside a polling place by checking in voters, answering voters’ questions, setting up and testing voting machines, issuing ballots, and other tasks.

Be a resource for voters who encounter problems - from registration issues to voter ID questions to language barriers.

Attend training held by local election officials to learn the mechanics of the voting process and what the rules are.

Get paid for the work you do while serving as a poll worker and, in some cases, get paid for the time you spend on training sessions.

When working in a polling location during the early voting period or on Election Day, there are different positions that you could fill. While your responsibilities will vary by jurisdiction or position, there are certain aspects of working at the polls that you can count on.

Ready to become a poll worker? Find more information or register now to become a poll worker in your area.

Register in Your Area Today