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Lawyers' Committee for Civil Right Under Law - Legal Roving Monitors

Voting Rights Legal Roving Monitor Georgia Election Protection

Respond to voting rights issues at polling places and assess polling place accessibility.

Posted April 3, 2024

Background & Context

Georgia Election Protection's (GA EP) Legal Roving Monitor (LRM) program meets two essential voting rights needs in Georgia.

First, we must ensure dedicated legal response capacity to respond rapidly to urgent voting rights and election issues. Second, we must make significant progress in evaluating Georgia's polling locations for accessibility for voters with disabilities.

Immediate Problem

Legal volunteers in Election Protection field programs are essential when and where rapid response is required. However, these needs are variable, and most volunteers spend portions of their shifts on call. There is a huge opportunity to utilize that time to assess (and ultimately improve) the accessibility of Georgia polling places for people with disabilities.

Work & Deliverables

Volunteers will be assigned turf in one Georgia county. For the May elections, we are only looking for volunteers who live in or can cover Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett, Chatham, Bibb, Richmond, Clayton, and Doherty counties. Volunteers must have smartphones and access to a private vehicle to travel around their assigned county.

During shifts, volunteers will monitor polling locations within their assigned turf, including evaluating them for disability access, surveys, and tools provided.

Should an issue occur in their county that requires legal support or rapid response, the Geogria Election Protection Command Center will dispatch the volunteer to respond under the guidance of the GA EP's election and legal experts.

Project Plan

Preparation Phase

  • Sign up for training
  • Attend first training via zoom and take quiz (poll monitoring and taking declarations)
  • Watch videos for second training (accessibility surveying)
  • Review assigned turf
  • Join volunteer whatsapp group
  • Pick up volunteer materials: credentials, printed packet, and turf

Collaboration Phase

  • Visit polling locations in assigned turf on May 21, 2024
  • Conduct disability poll site assessment for each location and submit report
  • Monitor for voting rights issues at each location and submit checklist report
  • Rapid response to voting rights issues as/if needed, under direction of GA EP Command Center

Wrap Up

  • Ensure all reports submitted
  • Share any unresolved issues or escalated issue updates with captain to complete your shift

This project is complete!

This project has been completed thanks to the efforts of our volunteers.

Visit the Project Directory to check out other projects that still need your help!

Additional Information

  • Time Commitment: 6-10 hours
  • Training Provided: Yes
  • Additional Training Details: Volunteers will receive training on nonpartisan poll monitoring, legal observing, how to take declarations, accessibility surveying, and review of polling locations.
  • Site-Preference: On-Site
  • Open to Law Students: No
  • Bar License(s) required: Georgia
  • Required Languages: None
  • Preferred Languages: Spanish
  • Required Legal Expertise: None
  • Preferred Legal Expertise: Civil Rights, Disability Rights, Voting Rights
  • Signup Deadline: May 17, 2024
  • Deliverables Due: May 21, 2024
  • Mentoring Provided: Yes
  • Supervision Provided: Yes

Locations

  • Multiple Locations
  • GA
Lawyers' Committee for Civil Right Under Law - Legal Roving Monitors

Georgia Election Protection is the largest and longest operating NONPARTISAN voter protection coalition in Georgia. The Election Protection Coalition works to ensure all voters can cast a ballot freely, fairly, and securely. We empower and support voters and communities who have been historically disenfranchised and underrepresented in our democracy. Our core work includes direct voter assistance and education, advocacy, litigation, and communication with elected officials.

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