Saving the General Election
Mission Possible: Nonprofits’ Mission to Protect & Serve
While the nonprofit community may be socially distanced, we remain united in our shared commitment to protect and serve the nation’s most vulnerable communities. Our democracy relies on ordinary people to not only ensure that elections are conducted efficiently, but to also guarantee that every constituent’s vote is counted. The structural inequalities deeply embedded in participatory democracy have undoubtedly imposed barriers to fair and equal access. These disparities are more apparent than ever as the most fundamental tool of civic participation has been challenged by the ongoing global health crisis.
Nonprofit Work Is Never Done: Nonprofits’ Role In Developing An Informed Electorate
Election results will take significantly longer to process due to limited in-person voting capacity and an unprecedented level of mail-in voting. Robust voter education campaigns will continue to be a lifeline for voters as election administrators amend polices and develop new procedures that mitigate health risks to ensure voting processes nationwide are facilitated in a manner that is in compliance with public health guidelines.
Don’t Just Vote, Volunteer: Nonprofit Votes Drive Nonprofit Impact
With each election, millions of volunteers dedicate themselves to sustaining the backbone of democracy. Nonprofits will be essential in ensuring that elections are conducted safely and securely as election officials nationwide anticipate longer wait times, litigation, and election system challenges. As the most reliable source of information nonprofits are charged with the responsibility of ensuring that the full promise of participatory democracy is afforded to all. This makes us unequivocally equipped to address widespread election anxiety as we navigate through the delays of the certification process. Interfacing with constituents through volunteer engagement and election management opportunities will help to resolve chaos and confusion. Our organizations are well-positioned to offer solutions that address essential needs for the general election, including the need for low-risk and diverse election workers to staff in-person voting locations and professionals to recruit and train volunteers. It’s incumbent upon nonprofits to ensure that equitable voting options are available to support voters with disabilities, populations without reliable access to mail service, and constituents who require language assistance.
Download the resource for a comprehensive list of toolkits, campaigns, and opportunities for engagement.
