Kelley Drye Volunteers in Pro Bono Opportunities for ​“Election Protection”

During the 2008 presidential election period, Kelley Drye participated in the ​“Election Protection” program organized by The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. The volunteers from Kelley Drye took four to five hour shifts during the day, after work and on weekends to staff the voter protection hotline and answer questions on voter registration, voting and election law.

On Election Day, the volunteers provided assistance at poll sites by passing out pamphlets on the ​“Voter Bill of Rights,” answering questions on the voting process and solving problems such as reporting malfunctioning machines to the station coordinators and redirecting voters to the appropriate poll sites for voting. Volunteers were also charged with ensuring that all voters who were in line by the scheduled times were permitted to vote.

The nonpartisan Election Protection coalition was formed to ensure that all voters have an equal opportunity to participate in the political process. Election Protection targets communities traditionally disenfranchised, including African Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, Latinos, Native Americans and other racially and ethnically diverse communities, seniors, young people, low-income voters and individuals with disabilities.