Everyday people are uniting to stand up to take collective action to build grassroots power and make sure democracy works for all. Election administrators should be on the front lines of our democracy, ensuring that eligible Americans can cast ballots that are counted. As the November 2018 elections approach and you carry out your duties, we write to urge you to protect the voting rights of every American and to spur maximum voter participation. In the United States, everyone should feel confident they can cast their vote and have it counted, no matter who they are or where they live.

Our country succeeds when government responds to the will of the people. Purging voter rolls of eligible voters, or making it harder to vote for anyone who is eligible, flies in the face of this country’s democratic principles. Election systems and security are threatened by a serious, chronic lack of public investment and the threat of interference. As a result, many of us and our families risk losing, or have already lost, the right to have our say. This is unacceptable and un-American.

Our organizing coalition, the Democracy Initiative, is composed of 69 national organizations representing 40 million people. We are advocates for workers, people with disabilities, and the environment; for civil, religious, LGBTQ, and women’s rights; and for democracy reforms. Each of us joined this coalition knowing the resolutions to our individual priorities and issues require a collective effort to improve the infrastructure of our democratic institutions.

Our alliance is powerful. We are black, white, and brown; urban and rural; working class, comfortable, and struggling to get by. We stand ready to act to see our shared principles upheld—in every state, from every candidate for office, in every ballot initiative and every law.

We know that some reforms will need to go through the legislative process to become policy, but there are some actions you can take immediately to increase turnout, improve access, increase confidence and help lead to greater representation in the November midterm elections.

We demand that in time for the November, 2018 election you:

• Prevent purging voter rolls of eligible voters,

• Ensure each polling location is properly prepared for election system failures by having a contingency plan in place that is accessible to all, including back up paper ballots and printed poll books,

• Provide an increase in polling places and ensure polling place hours truly serve our communities by extending weekend and evening hours,

• Educate poll workers on the voting rights of those on the “inactive voter list,”

• Give up to date and thorough training on new laws to poll workers, and,

• Hire adequate staff for the administration of the election in polling places.

By 2020 we expect and demand:

• A 21st Century voting system in which all eligible voters are registered and every vote is counted,

• An end to voter suppression laws such as requiring voter id that many people lack,

• A voting process that is both efficient and accessible through reforms like same day registration, automatic voter registration, accessible and widespread early voting locations, and statewide vote by mail options, and fewer restrictions on absentee ballot eligibility, and

• Significant investment in election infrastructure security to reduce the possibility of digital election interference.

As officials entrusted with ensuring the quality of full, free, and fair elections, we expect you to be committed to expanding voter turnout, and the reforms outlined above will help accomplish this goal. It is within our collective power to make voting accessible and to reverse the low turnout trends of the past several election cycles. It is for all our best interests to ensure every eligible voter—60% of whom are from historically disenfranchised communities: women, young people, and people of color---show up to vote for our future representatives and initiatives. Your proactive policies and planning can pave the way for such a positive change.

We are ready, organized, and growing in numbers. We are powered by our commitment to the democratic process—not the interests of the wealthy few. We look to you to share in and act on this commitment, and, if you don’t, you’ll hear from us.