The Election Protection Coalition was founded in 2004 by a coalition of major left-leaning advocacy organizations led by the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law. Other partners include large labor unions with a strong history of supporting Democrats (National Education Association, SEIU and American Federation of Teachers); two major proponents of left-leaning energy policy (Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters); the National Action Network, a leftist advocacy organization founded by controversial activist Al Sharpton; and numerous other strong left-leaning policy organizations such as the Southern Poverty Law Center and People for the American Way. The Lawyers Committee describes Election Protection as a “national election monitoring program” that became necessary “because of the controversy surrounding the 2000 Presidential election and the myriad problems reported in precincts in Florida.” Florida was narrowly won by Republican George W. Bush in 2000, providing him the electoral vote majority and the presidency. ^{1 2}

Election Protection’s program launch in 2004 featured three call centers where voters and activists were able to call-in voting irregularities, leading to several perceived violations of election law that were the basis of lawsuits in Ohio, Louisiana, and Florida. The Election Protection Coalition continues to operate election day hotlines and has also grown to become an election policy organization that opposes photo ID requirements at polling places. The left-leaning advocacy organization Common Cause manages the coalition’s “voter protection field programs” grassroots effort. ^{3 4 5}

Background

The Election Protection Coalition, which is also identified as 866 Our-Vote, was founded in 2004 by a coalition of major left-leaning advocacy organizations led by the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law. Other partners in the Election Protection Coalition include large labor unions with a strong history of supporting Democrats (National Education Association, SEIU and American Federation of Teachers); two major proponents of left-leaning energy policy (Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters); the National Action Network, a leftist advocacy organization founded by controversial activist Al Sharpton; and numerous other strong left-leaning policy organizations (e.g.: the Brennan Center, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Common Cause, People for the American Way, the Alliance for Justice, and State Voices). ^{6 7}

The Lawyers Committee describes Election Protection as a “national election monitoring program” that became necessary “because of the controversy surrounding the 2000 Presidential election and the myriad problems reported in precincts in Florida.” Florida was narrowly won by Republican George W. Bush in 2000, providing him the electoral vote majority and the presidency. ⁸

Election Protection’s program launch in 2004 featured three call centers where voters and activists were able to call-in voting irregularities. The 25,000 activists reported several perceived violations of election law that were the basis of lawsuits in Ohio, Louisiana, and Florida. ⁹

Activity

The Election Protection Coalition continues to operate election day hotlines and has also grown to become an election policy organization that opposes photo ID requirements at polling places. The left-leaning advocacy organization Common Cause manages the coalition’s “voter protection field programs” grassroots effort. ^{10 11}

Coalition Partners

The following organizations are listed as national partners of the Election Protection Coalition:¹²

Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law

American Civil Liberties Union

American Constitution Society

Anti-Defamation League

Asian-Americans Advancing Justice

American Federation of Teachers

Asian-American Ministers in Action

All Voting is Local

Alliance for Youth Action

Alliance for Justice

Ballot Ready

Brennan Center for Justice

Color of Change

Council on American Islamic Relations

Common Cause

Demos

Human Rights Campaign

League of Women Voters

League of Conservation Voters

NAACP

NALEO

SEIU

Sierra Club

Southern Poverty Law Center

1. “History”. Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Accessed May 12, 2020. https://lawyerscommittee.org/history/
2. “Partners”. Election Protection. Accessed May 12, 2020 https://866ourvote.org/partners/
3. “About”. Election Protection. Accessed May 12, 2020. https://866ourvote.org/about/
4. “Election Protection Preliminary Report on the 2018 Midterm Elections”. Election Protection. Accessed May 12, 2020. https://866ourvote.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Election-Protection-Preliminary-Report-on-the-2018-Midterm-Elections.pdf
5. “History”. Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Accessed May 12, 2020. https://lawyerscommittee.org/history/
6. “History”. Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Accessed May 12, 2020. https://lawyerscommittee.org/history/
7. “Partners”. Election Protection. Accessed May 12, 2020 https://866ourvote.org/partners/
8. “History”. Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Accessed May 12, 2020. https://lawyerscommittee.org/history/
9. “History”. Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Accessed May 12, 2020. https://lawyerscommittee.org/history/
10. “About”. Election Protection. Accessed May 12, 2020. https://866ourvote.org/about/
11. “Election Protection Preliminary Report on the 2018 Midterm Elections”. Election Protection. Accessed May 12, 2020. https://866ourvote.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Election-Protection-Preliminary-Report-on-the-2018-Midterm-Elections.pdf
12. “Partners”. Election Protection. Accessed May 12, 2020 https://866ourvote.org/partners/