“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where
he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Civil Rights and Liberties
Protecting the Right to Vote
The firm demonstrated its long-term commitment to ensuring that eligible voters were able to cast their ballots by once again partnering with Election Protection, the national, nonpartisan voter hotline organized by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. The firm was responsible for responding to Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island voters who contacted the hotline and for reaching out to elections officials to report problems identified by those voters. On Election Day, our volunteers handled almost 1,400 interactions with voters—resolving voter issues in real time by answering questions about registration status, polling place location, and absentee ballots, among others. Volunteers also reported and helped remedy systemic issues such as machine malfunctions and extended wait times at the polls.
One example where voter reports led to meaningful change was in Burlington County, New Jersey. Throughout Election Day, volunteers received dozens of reports at several polling locations of wait times of three or more hours. In response, a team of Lowenstein volunteers, in collaboration with the ACLU of New Jersey, Disability Rights New Jersey, the League of Women Voters of New Jersey, the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, and the Prison Legal Advocacy Network, escalated the issue to local and state officials. Armed with information from the hotline, state officials obtained a court order that extended the closing time for polling places in the county and required the distribution of emergency paper ballots, ensuring that more eligible voters had the opportunity to cast their ballots.
Our commitment to election protection extended well beyond Election Day. From our work with state and federal agencies to prepare for and resolve any issues that occurred prior to Election Day to postelection advocacy, we will continue to collaborate with our nonprofit partners to promote fair, accessible, and efficient voting processes.
© Chris LaChall – USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images