Press Release: 11/2/2026

Nonpartisan Voting Rights Coalition to Send Observers to 165 Polling Stations in Historic Election Protection Initiative

 



Eligible voters who face any challenges casting their ballots are encouraged to call the national voter assistance hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE



November 2, 2026 2:00 pm



Media Contact



Mark Sheridan, media@aclum.org



Nonpartisan voting rights organizations have mobilized their largest election protection effort ever, training more than 750 volunteer poll observers to protect free and fair elections in Massachusetts. The volunteers will fan out to at least 165 polling places across the Commonwealth tomorrow.



The Election Protection Coalition (EPC) has been recruiting, training, and deploying poll observers in Massachusetts for more than 16 years, with the goal of supporting access to the ballot for all eligible voters, including voters with disabilities and those with limited English skills. This year’s program drew unprecedented interest.



“It’s inspiring to see so many people volunteer their time to make sure that every eligible voter is able to make their voice heard,” the coalition said in a statement. “Voting is the foundation of all our rights in a democracy, and we’re proud to help protect that most fundamental freedom.”



The nonpartisan EPC observers, identifiable by their bright yellow T-shirts, will be deployed in 30 cities tomorrow, including Boston, Brockton, Cambridge, Chelsea, Fall River, Falmouth, Framingham, Hyannis, Lawrence, Lowell, Pittsfield, Quincy, Springfield, and Worcester.



They will observe voting operations and report any problems both to local officials and to attorneys staffing the coalition’s Election Protection Command Center.



Registered voters who encounter any challenges accessing the ballot should talk to an EPC observer at their local polling place or call the national voter assistance hotlines, which are available in multiple languages:




  • English: 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)




  • Spanish: 888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682)




  • Arabic: 844-YALLA-US (844-925-5287)




  • Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi and Bengali: 888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683)



Members of the Election Protection Coalition include the ACLU of Massachusetts, Common Cause Massachusetts, Lawyers for Civil Rights, League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, MassVOTE, Massachusetts Voter Table, and the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts