FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 2, 2018
CLEVELAND–With significant changes to polling places in historically disenfranchised communities since the 2016 election, All Voting is Local and the Cleveland Branch NAACP are urging Cuyahoga County voters to verify their polling locations before they prepare to cast ballots on Tuesday, Nov. 6.
Advocates urge voters to make a plan to vote and check their polling location using the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections online lookup tool. If voters need assistance voting or encounter any problems, they can call the nonpartisan Election Protection hotline at 866.OUR-VOTE.
“Many voters have cast their ballots in the same polling place for years, so when there is a change to where they must go, it can cause confusion,” said Angela Woodson, Political Action Chair for the Cleveland Branch NAACP. “We are asking all voters to ‘Check Yourself’ and be sure you go to the correct polling place on Election Day, so you can be confident you will cast your ballot.”
“With Election Day fast approaching, it’s vital that voters make a plan to vote and an important first step is verifying the location of their assigned polling place,” said Mike Brickner, Ohio State Director for All Voting is Local. “We are working in communities in Cleveland that have faced historic barriers to the ballot. We know polling assignments have changed in many of these communities since the last major election and we want to ensure voters in every community can make their voices heard on Election Day.”
The Cleveland Branch NAACP and All Voting is Local are working to coordinate nonpartisan election protection. Advocates are dispatching poll monitors to dozens of polling places that have had issues in past election and serve communities that are more likely to experience problems, such as first-time voters, people of color, and low-income voters.
###
All Voting is Local fights for the right to vote through a unique combination of data-driven organizing, advocacy and communications. It is a collaborative campaign housed at The Leadership Conference Education Fund, in conjunction with Access Democracy; the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation; the American Constitution Society; the Campaign Legal Center; and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
The Cleveland Branch NAACP was established in 1912 with the goal of improving the political, educational, social, and economic status of minority groups; to eliminate racial prejudice; to keep the public aware of the adverse effects of racial discrimination; and to take lawful action to secure its elimination, consistent with the efforts of the national organization and in conformity with the Articles of Incorporation of the Association, its Constitution and ByLaws and as directed by the National Board of Directors. Over the years, the Cleveland Branch of the NAACP has helped those in the community who are without any other means of assistance through a variety of programs and services.