[co-author: Shelina Kurwa, Law Clerk]

On November 5th and 6th, Proskauer will host over 150 volunteer lawyers in its New York office to support election protection efforts with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

Responsible for the largest non-partisan voter protection endeavor in the country, the Lawyers’ Committee is dedicated to ensuring that all voters—regardless of political belief or affiliation—have an equal opportunity to participate in the political process. Every election season, Proskauer runs one of the call centers, helping to field a portion of the many thousands of phone calls received by the Election Protection hotline: 866-Our-Vote.

The issues raised during these calls run the gamut. One voter might call in to ask where their polling place is located, while someone else might be having trouble with a broken voting machine. Another might want to know if they can wear a political t-shirt to the polls, while still another might report that their polling place has closed earlier than its legally mandated hours.

Call center volunteers answer all questions to the best of their ability and log the calls in a central database, helping to create a record of common problems that can be addressed. When notified of issues like closed polling places or broken machines, call center volunteers inform volunteers in the field who are able to take immediate action, traveling to polling places and working with local officials to ensure such problems are resolved.

This year, Proskauer’s call center will field calls from Arkansas, Ohio, Tennessee, and South Carolina, with volunteers joining us not only from the firm, but also from a number of corporate clients including A+E Networks, Bloomberg LP and Viacom. To prepare, volunteers attend trainings at Proskauer and online, review materials prepared by the firm with information specific to each state, and learn how to use the database to log calls. Then, over two days, eight different shifts, 28 hours of calls, and countless cups of coffee, call center volunteers get to work protecting one of the most fundamental pillars of our democracy.

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