Common Cause launches nationwide election protection effort for 2026

National voting rights group Common Cause is training thousands of volunteers to assist voters during the 2026 midterm elections.

The nonpartisan advocacy group announced the effort Thursday during a virtual news conference. It said it has recruited thousands of volunteers so far and is seeking more than 10,000 nationwide.

Volunteers will monitor polling places, staff voter-assistance hotlines and work with legal teams on issues that could interfere with voting, the group said. The Trump administration has said armed federal agents could be deployed at voting sites.

“We take direct legal action, we combat voter intimidation, and we provide millions of voters with the trusted real-time support they need to cast their ballots both safely and confidently,” said Virginia Kase Solomón, president and CEO of Common Cause.

In North Carolina, Common Cause plans to have a presence in all 100 counties during the election, said Brooks Fuller, policy director of Common Cause North Carolina. The organization is working with grassroots groups to recruit poll monitors. 

“We will be across the state from the beginning of early voting through certification, working with communities of voters to make sure that their ballots are counted,” Fuller said.

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Common Cause North Carolina also has a state-specific voter hotline, 888-OUR-VOTE, staffed by lawyers, paralegals and law students trained and supervised by voting rights attorneys, Fuller said.

Common Cause Vice President Suzanne Almeida noted the group recruited over 15,000 election protection volunteers in 2024.

Volunteers receive 60 to 90 minutes of training on state voting laws, poll monitoring and how to report issues. Some specialized roles require longer, in-person training.

“We are training volunteers on how to show up well at a polling location in your state,” Almeida said. “What are the rules about where you can stand, who you can talk to, what kind of support you can give to voters.”

Common Cause has also filed lawsuits over the potential presence of federal law enforcement at polling places and challenged federal attempts to collect voter data.