Election Protection: Testimonials from Volunteers
Alma Lagarda
Why did you decide to volunteer for Election Protection? And why do you feel it is an important program?
"Election Protection is an important program because it seeks to ensure that everyone's vote counts. The 2000 election undermined our democratic system because you had whole populations of disenfranchised voters. People were casting their vote only to find out that it wouldn't be counted, while others were prevented from voting in the first place. I wanted to be part of this effort to help ensure that the system we assert is democratic is actually that in practice. So I came out today to learn what measures should be in place on election day so that when people exercise their constitutional right to vote, that right is actually being respected."
Rosalie Steward
Why did you decide to volunteer for Election Protection? And why do you feel it is an important program?
"Well I think this is the most important election of my lifetime and I am 65. and I was appalled what happened in Florida... I grew up in Chicago... Stopping people from voting has been going on for a long long time and I think this is really important because we all need to vote. Each of us needs to know that it is our responsibility and our privilege and if we want to have input into our government we need to let ourselves be heard."
What Inspired you politically to get involved this year and have you ever participated in any type of Election Protection or "get out the vote" (GOTV) campaigns in the past?
"I wanted to do something now and something physical. I wanted to be involved in this election and this seemed to be a very valuable thing that I could do if I just make sure that ten people who weren’t going to get to vote, vote, then I feel like I have done my part, and I want to encourage everyone to do something that they wouldn’t normally have done."
Hardin Jones
Why did you decide to volunteer for Election Protection? And why do you feel it is an important program?
"I grew up voting all my life and I think it is the right of american citizens to be able to vote and it is guaranteed by the Constitution so I think that nobody should be disenfranchised. And I think that coupled with what happened in the past there has to be someway to ensure that people are free to cast their ballots for whom they want to."
What inspired you politically to get involved this year and have you ever participated in any type of Election Protection or GOTV campaigns in the past?
"Back when I was a college student I did a lot of work for the Kennedy election, we went door to door canvassing, asking people to make sure they cast their votes for whom they wanted to."
Craig Dunkerley
Why did you decide to volunteer for Election Protection? And why do you feel it is an important program?
"There are so many things that can go wrong and can go wrong. Florida was certainly a painful example of that and I just want to be sure that it doesn’t happen again that whoever gets elected next time really does get elected and that all of us whether we are Democrat, Republican, or Independent can be confident that this is the case."
What inspired you politically to get involved this year and have you ever participated in any type of Election Protection or GOTV campaigns in the past?
"I am finding as a member of the baby boomer generation political activism and that sort of thing are becoming more important to me as I grow older."
Sandy Weil
Why did you decide to volunteer for Election Protection? And why do you feel it is an important program?
"Well just because of what we saw happening in Florida and I have the film Unprecedented and I saw all the intimidation that took place and people lost their right to vote and I just believe that it is extremely important to protect people’s right to vote and make sure that everyone gets that right without being intimidated."
What would you say to someone who felt that election Protection was not an important program?
"I would say to someone that says Election Protection is not important that they probably haven’t experienced or talked to anyone who has lost their right to vote, so until they become familiar with that which is extremely important that they do and understand that that is happening then they would realize that this is an extremely important program."
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