Our Homes, Our Votes Updates – November 4, 2024

Today (Monday, November 4) is Election Hero Day! 

Election Hero Day (Monday, November 4) is a nationwide, nonpartisan Civic Holiday to celebrate the essential role of election officials, staff, and poll workers in our democracy. The Election Hero Day Partner Toolkit contains sample social media content, creative assets, and other communications materials that you can use to honor election heroes. 

To find an in-person Election Hero Day celebration in your community, visit: www.electionheroday.org/election-hero-day-celebrations

Department of Justice and Election Assistance Commission Launch Webpages for Hurricane-Impacted Voters and Election Officials

The U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Rights Division launched a webpage that provides information on voting rights in six hurricane-impacted states (FL, GA, NC, SC, TN, and VA). For each state, the webpage addresses frequently asked questions about voting by mail and in-person, accessibility of polling locations, how to vote for those who have lost their identification, and how to request a mail-in ballot for those who have been displaced from their usual residence. 

Hurricanes Helene and Milton have displaced thousands of people from their residences and affected vital components of the voting process, such as delayed postal services, lost or destroyed identification documents, and closed businesses and schools. The DOJ’s webpage provides guidance for voters to overcome these challenges and exercise their fundamental right to vote in the aftermath of disaster. 

The DOJ webpage also reiterates its commitment to ensuring that every eligible voter can cast their vote free from discrimination, coercion, or accessibility barriers. The website provides a resource to report any civil rights violations observed at polling locations or during voter registration. The webpage also provides contact information so that voters can reach local voting officials who can provide up-to-date, state-specific guidance. 

The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) launched a “Disaster Recovery and Response” webpage that links to official state resources for FL, GA, NC, SC, TN, and VA and addresses frequently asked questions for voters who have been displaced, have lost their ID, need to identify their voting location, or have questions about proving their residency. The page also outlines resources for election officials navigating a response to a disaster or emergency, including federal and state-specific guidance. The EAC lists grant resources available for post-disaster election recovery under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), as well as other federal funding sources that may be available to election officials. 

The DOJ webpage can be found here and the EAC webpage can be found here.

Movement Advancement Project Releases Post-Election Processes Report 

The Movement Advancement Project (MAP), a nonpartisan nonprofit think tank that seeks to advance equity and opportunity for all, released a report on post-election processes. The report aims to combat fears and misinformation about the ballot-counting and certification processes, boost confidence in elections, and increase public awareness of election security. 

The report walks through (1) the vote counting process, (2) how vote counts are finalized and verified, (3) how election results are checked for accuracy and how post-election audits are conducted, and (4) how election results are finalized and certified. In its overview of vote counting, the report explains that some states’ results may not be finalized on Election Night due to population size, state-specific election procedures, diverse voting methods, and counting of provisional and challenged ballots. The report also discusses the limitations of unofficial results reported in the media, how election disputes are resolved, and why certain states may take longer to report their results in 2024. 

To ensure voters’ confidence in election integrity, the report concludes by reiterating the policies that protect the accuracy, integrity, and security of the election process. The report assures voters that delays in finalizing results are due to state laws, rather than interference or tampering, and that all valid votes will be counted to ensure that all voices are heard. 

Click here to download the full MAP report.