The ability to vote is essential to our democracy. Any threat to free and fair elections is not only against the essential foundation of our country, it is in violation of our greater understanding of freedom.
You can help to prevent the erosion of voter suppression by being cautious of tactics and tools autocrats in history have used and knowing what the law ensures for each of us.
Democracy Forward authored The People’s Guide to Voting Rights, a toolkit that explains exactly what you need to know about the 2026 midterm elections and what you can do in this moment to protect and preserve our voting rights.
Learn more and download the guide here.
From the obvious-but-still-important to the more innovative. Find a few actions that speak to you, and try them!
WHAT YOU CAN DO IN UNDER AN HOUR
- Make sure you are registered to vote and that you are tracking when elections are taking place. You can find your polling place at vote.org or Vote411.org. You can check if you are registered to vote at vote.org.
- Subscribe to a reliable listserv that will give you up-to-date, accurate information regarding voting rights. I subscribe to Democracy Docket (www.democracydocket.com). This site also provides up-to-date information regarding threats to our elections and ways people can take action.
IF YOU HAVE MORE TIME
- Pay attention to all elections, not just large national ones. Even if there is not a nationally significant election, there could be an important state or local election. You can log onto Vote411.org to learn more about the elections in your area. Block some time off in your calendar to learn about candidates.
- Talk with your friends and community members about voting. Make sure they are registered. Offer to help register and keep them informed of when voting will occur. While this may seem minimal, you would be surprised how many people need encouragement to vote or make a plan.
- Part of “making a plan” to vote is to know your rights and tell others about their rights. Find specific information about how you can vote in your state at Vote411.org. Know your rights (e.g., you likely have the right to vote without showing your ID) and inform others of their rights. Make a plan for how to confront a situation in which your rights or the rights of other voters are violated.
IF YOU HAVE MORE TIME
- Be informed and support federal voting rights legislation and support laws, such as the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025, that protect and expand voting protections.
- Learn about your state laws too. States can pass pro-voting rights legislation. Contact your state representatives to let them know you support these efforts.
- Writing to your member of Congress persistently about this priority is important. You should also write to state representatives about your state’s voting laws. Even if nothing happens overnight, it lets them know you are watching and care.
- Attend or create “town halls,” and if your elected leader is not participating in town halls, host an “empty chair” town hall
- Write and submit articles and opinion pieces to your local newspaper or make digital content (reels, videos) about the importance of voting, how to vote, and any reforms that are needed. Celebrate those who are working to protect the right to vote but, importantly, name and call out lawmakers who are not working urgently to protect the right to vote.
IF YOU HAVE A DAY OR WEEKEND
- Volunteer to register people to vote. You can find opportunities to do this through Vote411.org or organizations you support that run voter awareness drives.
- Volunteer to canvass voters. Canvassing is going door-to-door to have conversations about important issues. Canvassing can increase voter turnout substantially. You can find information on how to canvass and canvassing opportunities at www.representus.org.
- On Election Days and early voting days, accompany people to the polls who may fear potential encounters with vote suppressors; make voting a fun, community event.
- Participate in voting marches, protests, and demonstrations to oppose any effort to subvert elections or threaten the right to vote. Support the need for voting rights legislation and voter protections.
MORE ACTIONS
- If you are a small business owner or in leadership at a company or organization, consider giving your employees the day off for voting if they show their “I voted” sticker.
- Consider becoming a local election worker. Your county website should have information on how to engage. HelpAmericaVote.gov has traditionally provided accurate and helpful information to encourage participation; you should check it out but be vigilant in monitoring the administration’s actions to ensure the information stays reliable.
- Plan a gathering for friends, colleagues, and community members but ask that they show their “I voted” sticker (or a selfie) in order to attend the gathering.
- Learn about efforts to “rewrite” history (e.g., state laws that are teaching students that the 2020 election was rigged) and find ways to provide accurate education to people of all ages. (Some thoughts on how to engage in these efforts in your community are discussed in Action 3)
- If you are in high school, host a voter drive at your school. Learn more about The Civics Center’s Cap, Gown & Ballot initiative to ensure that young people are registered to vote before they leave high school.
