Ruckus Updates

Voters Silenced Here!


Election Protection Rapid Response Team Action Page

The Action:

At The Ruckus Society, we partnered with people and organizations all over the country to have a comprehensive election protection response. From text action to phone storms to secure chatrooms to aligned messaging to connecting local organizers with national information resources when it mattered, Ruckus was all over election protection in 2006.

We’re still hearing stories from the ground. If voters got silenced near you in this election, we’ve created an easy action called "Voters Silenced Here." If you aren’t sure, we have a set of great resources for what went down and where. Find out if voters were silenced in your area below!

To recreate the Voters Silenced Here Action:

0. Realize you’re the kind of person who is down to take action on Election Day, no matter much voter organizing you’ve ever done. Go now to https://www.ruckus.org/electionprotection. Sign up to be part of the team, and text "PROTECT" to 30644 to get on the list of folks who can be called to action today. It’s like a Civil Rights Reserves.

1. Find out that something is going down which will adversely effect election results! We’ll alert you through our texts based on your geography, but you have your ear to the ground and will no doubt be hearing things as well!

2. Cover your mouth with cloth, scarf, bandana, anything to show the image of silenced voters. Have enough for multiple people to cover their mouths so you can recruit folks to join you in action!

3. Then, download the sign from The Ruckus Society on Election Day that says "Voters Silenced Here."

4. If you have time and resources, we have an Election Day Guide to Making a Bedsheet Banner!

5. Identify one spokesperson who can explain to media and anyone else on site how voters have been silenced at your polling station or County Board of Elections. {It will also help to make small flyers that explain it!}

6. Email adrienne@ruckus.org letting us know you’re doing the action, and we’ll post it on our site so folks looking for actions can join you. Send pictures if you can!!


Best sources from our friends and allies for how voters were silenced:

Protect Our Votes
Voters Unite 

for more information and storylines check out:

Common Cause’s Blog
Video the Vote