In every state and county, true election protection demands an informed, committed coalition of grassroots activists, experts, and attorneys embedded in the local election boards, rooted in multi-racial/cross-generational coalitions. Among others, Joel Segal has helped organize just such a coalition in North Carolina, serving as a template for what needs to happen nationwide (contact: joel.r.segal@gmail.com).
Voters and vote counters alike have been physically assaulted throughout US history. Clearly 2020 will be no exception.
At the choke points of certifying incoming ballots and then facilitating the recounts, and at two dozen other key junctures along the way, this grassroots EP force could decide the American future.
2020's primary vortex -- its EP "trifecta" -- goes like this:
PILLAR ONE: THE VOTER REGISTRATION ROLLS
The first "leg" of the election protection trifecta is to register new voters, protect those now on the rolls, and restore those who've been purged.
The federal Election Assistance Commission and the Brennan Center say some 17 million Americans have been stripped from the 2020 voter rolls.
Legitimate reasons for stripping can include death, change of residence, convictions for treason, etc. But John Roberts's US Supreme Court has allowed local and state election boards to strip voter rolls based on race, class, ageist, ID, and other partisan pretexts.
Millions who assume they're securely registered may not be. Everyone must check registration lists online or call the election board.
Among other groups, Andrea Miller's People Demanding Action works to restore voters to the rolls and to add new ones.
PILLAR TWO: VOTE BY MAIL
In 2020 we expect the percentage of absentee or VBM ballots in many states to jump from 5% to as much as 80%.
At its best, VBM can represent a historic transition from hackable electronic machines to universal paper ballots. It's long been the core system in Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Utah, and Hawaii.
But it's now under serious attack. States like Texas, Georgia, and Ohio are making ballots hard to get. The assault on the US Postal Service throws their delivery into doubt. In states using VBM for the first time to this extent, logistical vulnerabilities are significant.
How effectively the grassroots EP movement protects VBM could define 2020's outcome:
1. Printing and Publishing
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