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NPAction Staff

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Nonprofits Strive to Ensure Fair Election

On April 9th, the Washington Post reported on the extensive efforts of nonprofit groups to ensure this year’s elections are executed in a fair and efficient manner. According to the article — “Groups Step Up Efforts to Avert Voting Mishaps” — two African-American nonprofit organizations — the NAACP National Voter Fund and the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation — are leading the effort to register voters, to prevent voter suppression, and to monitor and record unfair occurrences as the polls.

The NAACP’s National Voter Fund — in partnership with the Tom Joyner Morning Show — launched a toll-free voter hotline — 1-866-MYVOTE1. Using the hotline, citizens can

• Request a voter registration application, which they can sign and return to their local county elections board;
• Find the closest polling place to their home;
• Record up to a :60 second complaint if they have encountered any problems, or
• Transfer to a person at their local county elections office. Throughout the primary season and Election Day, Joyner and the NAACP will be encouraging tens of thousands to register to vote and be able to monitor any problems voters might have at their polling places.