Florida Election Protection announces hotline in advance of next week’s vote

With just a week before Election Day, voting rights advocates who want to ensure a fair process for Floridians who go to the polls have unveiled a telephone hotline to address any problems at the voting booth.

The Election Protection Coalition, said to be the country’s largest nonpartisan voter protection group, unveiled its hotline number on Monday. It’s 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) and 888-839-8682 for Spanish-speaking voters. It will be staffed from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. from now until the night of November 5 th and for 24 hours on Election Day.

Florida’s Election Protection Coalition is led by Common Cause Florida and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and was formed in the aftermath of the infamous 2000 election in Florida, during which thousands of people were incorrectly listed as felons and were dropped from the voting rolls.

The coalition lists more than 100 partners in its effort, including the NAACP, the Asian American Legal Defense and Educational Team and the League of Women Voters of the U.S.

The coalition plans to place thousands of volunteers on the ground throughout the country on Election Day, with a team of legal experts available on the hotline. According to Common Cause’s website, the coalition wants to “create a line of defense against “suppression tactics, confusing laws, outdated infrastructure and other impediments to making themselves heard.”