As we get closer to Election Day 2020, those waging war on people and the planet are refusing any commitment to a peaceful transition of power should they lose. They’ve spewed hate, incited violence, and presided over a pandemic that has cost over 210,000 American lives.
And NOW, our fundamental right to vote in fair and free elections is under attack. Voter disenfranchisement is real. Low-income voters and communities of color are under attack by ridiculous artificial barriers to basic democratic rights.
We cannot stop organizing. This is when they try to take everything. The fascists are trying to foster a crisis to take away our rights and take power away from the people, but as long time direct action organizer Lisa Fithian said, “It’s at the edge of chaos where the deepest changes can occur.” Therefore, our movements can also seize the crisis moment to create the better world that we want to see. We just have to do it.
In that spirit, to counter these anti-democratic efforts, many groups are mobilizing for both Election Day and what comes after. So, we’ve created this resource hub to defend democracy.
Election Day, Poll Watching and Election Defense
- Frontline Election Defenders. Connecting thousands of volunteers with voters to overcome suppression, prepare to turn out on election day, and prepare together for whatever scenario comes next.
- Election Protection. Resources for voting, voter protection, etc.
Street Trainings
- Shutdown DC calendar of events and trainings. Organizers in DC have been making plans around an election crisis all year. They are offering virtual trainings. Open to all.
- Choose Democracy: How to Beat an Election-Related Power Grab. Trainings led by long time organizer and trainer George Lakey and team. Part of Choose Democracy (see below).
Election Shenanigans Rapid Response
- Protect the Results. A coalition of over 100 groups planning protests in the event of a Trump power grab.
- Choose Democracy. A pledge of resistance to act with non-violent civil disobedience if there is an election-related power grab. The pledge includes virtual trainings led by long time organizer and trainer George Lakey and team.
Strategy Guides
- Stopping the Coup: The Disruption Guide for 2020. Rave reviews by Breitbart and Trump! If you want to stop a coup by mobilizing millions of friends, read this!
- Stopping the Coup: Dealing with Threats.
- Hold the Line– “The Hold the Line guide is a step-by-step handbook on how to prepare and what to do in case attempts are made to subvert the election results.
Further Reading: Articles and Reports
- George Lakey: We need a plan to prevent a Trump takeover — and this anti-coup research shows the way
- Daniel Hunter: Ten Things You Need to Know to Stop a Coup
- The Left Secretly Preps for Right-Wing Violence After Election Day
- Preventing a Disrupted Presidential Election and Transition. A group of election experts ran multiple scenarios on possible disrupted Presidential elections. Their conclusion? “A show of numbers in the streets — and actions in the streets — may be decisive factors.”
