This partnership is working to fight voter suppression in the midterms

This month We The Action, a nonpartisan organization connecting volunteer attorneys with nonprofits through its online platform, announced in a video its partnership with Election Protection for the 2018 midterms. The groups aim to connect lawyers with volunteer projects to fight voter suppression in the upcoming elections.

#Lawyers! Help make sure everyone's #vote counts this #MidtermElection. Learn more and sign up now for #ElectionProtection at: https://t.co/NH6tHe2eEr. pic.twitter.com/EDi6jS0Rrl

— We The Action (@WeTheAction) October 18, 2018

Sarah Baker became We The Action’s first executive director in July 2017, after working for six  years as the special assistant to President Barack Obama and as the policy director for Dr. Jill Biden, Technical.ly DC previously reported. The organization is shifting gears now to make sure the District is ready for this upcoming election.

“We have all seen or heard stories of voter purges, foreign meddling, voter suppression and disenfranchisement,” Baker told Technical.ly. “Voters want fair, free, and secure elections, so they’re confident that their vote will count. Lawyers have proven that their talent, energy, and training matter, and now, lawyers can use those same skills to help protect the vote.”

Election Protection is a nonpartisan voter protection coalition that helps organize legal volunteers to assist in defending voters’ rights. This closely aligns with the work that We The Action is also doing so the two decided to team up.

“We knew that our platform could help make it easier to connect lawyers to their important work,” Baker said.

We The Action and Election Protection created an online platform where legal professionals can find and sign up for volunteer shifts at nearby call centers to answer voters questions calling into the Election Protection hotline (866-OUR-VOTE) or at a local Election Protection field program, where volunteers monitor and respond to voting problems at the polls. Volunteers can also use the portal to sign up for the necessary training, Baker said.

Baker says the organizations have a goal to make sure all call centers and field program are staffed with volunteers from now until election day on Nov. 6. We The Action is also partnering with organizations to offer 18 other election-related projects this midterm season.

Since we last reported, the We The Action community has grown to more than 5, 000 lawyers and nearly 100 nonprofit partners. Baker said the organizations has also been focusing on projects to help reunite families separated at the U.S. border, provide government oversight and rebuild Puerto Rico.