All politics is local, as the saying goes. And local politics in Nebraska’s Capital City will have a big day May 7 as Lincoln voters choose a mayor, city council members, school board members, and other city leadership posts in the city’s general election.
For the first time in a Nebraska local municipal election, Civic Nebraska’s trained, nonpartisan Election Protection volunteers will be on hand at polling places around the city.
What’s an Election Protector? An indispensable volunteer who serves as a watchful eye on the electoral process. Election Protectors act in a passive role as observers, monitoring polling places and reporting back to Civic Nebraska what they are seeing on the ground as voters gather to cast ballots on Election Day. This includes instances of concern, but observers also note what is going well.
Election Protectors also gather data on how elections are administered and record any irregularities, including whether voters are treated differently. Civic Nebraska then shares all of the information that is gathered with the appropriate election officials. Election observation is an important protection of the integrity of the electoral process, and it helps to maintain confidence in our democratic institutions.
We are still recruiting volunteers to help protect Lincoln’s local election. This is our first effort at deploying observers for a local Nebraska election, and we need your help for it to be successful.
For more information and to sign up for a quick training — either in person or remotely —Â Â click here.
Thanks for your interest and for all that you do,
Brad Christian-Sallis, Voting Rights Field Director
