Countdown to Election Day

Voting Rights

Protecting our Democracy in Countdown to Election Day 

With just days to go until Election Day 2024, Lawyers for Civil Rights is mobilizing the full force of our New England legal network to protect our democracy, monitor the polls, stand up to voter suppression, and ensure access to the ballot box for all voters. Our Election Protection program is already active on the ground in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. We expect to deploy nearly 1000 volunteer poll monitors to polling locations in Massachusetts and New Hampshire to provide in-person support to voters on Election Day. And our hotline team is fielding voter questions from across New England. 

In Massachusetts, many voters are utilizing new vote-by-mail and expanded in-person early voting options to cast their ballots in the 2024 presidential election. These are key additions to elections made permanent in 2022 following advocacy by LCR and its allies in the Election Modernization Coalition. LCR’s staff is currently fielding questions from Massachusetts voters, advising most frequently on how to get a mail-in ballot, whether completed ballots have been received, and where to vote early. 

Right now, we are receiving reports of intimidating postcards being sent to voters in Central Massachusetts. The mailers falsely suggest that a presidential campaign will be moving a family of migrants into recipients’ homes. Not only is this misleading to voters, but it is also racist—exploiting vulnerable migrants as an intimidation tactic. LCR’s team is investigating and will use every tool at our disposal to protect voters. 

Important dates and information for Massachusetts voters: 

  • Massachusetts voters can register to vote and request their mail-in ballot online, but the voter registration deadline (October 26) and mail-in ballot application deadline (October 29) have now passed for the November 5 election. Importantly voters can also go online to track their mail-in ballot’s status after mailing it, and find the early voting locations in their city or town.
  • Registered Massachusetts voters can still vote early in person until the end of the in-person early voting period, which runs from October 19-November 1.

In New Hampshire, there is no early voting period and mail-in voting is only allowed under certain circumstances. We are preparing robust, in-person Election Protection efforts to be on the ground in New Hampshire on Election Day—when nearly all New Hampshire voters will cast their ballots. Our team is monitoring and advising in New Hampshire on threats to election security and confusion about the state’s new Voter ID law, which does not take effect until after the 2024 election.  

Important dates and information for New Hampshire voters: 

  • In New Hampshire, voters can register at their city or town clerk’s office before Election Day or in-person at their polling place on Election Day. Qualified New Hampshire voters can also request an absentee ballot until November 4th.

In both states, we are anticipating high voter turnout in this presidential election year, and our non-partisan Election Protection team will be assisting voters both remotely and in person. For remote help any time between now and November 5th, New England voters with election questions or concerns can call the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline to speak with our highly trained team of attorneys. 

Through the 866-OUR-VOTE call center—operated in partnership with the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and Wilmer Hale—and its army of poll monitor volunteers, LCR will work vigilantly to ensure that all New England voters have access to the ballot box. Although the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline provides services in English, voters who need help in other languages can call: 888-VE-Y-VOTA (Spanish); 888-API-VOTE (Asian languages); or 844-YALLA-US (Arabic).