Pro Bono Lawyers Needed to Protect Our Election and Its Administrators

As election season shifts into high gear, pro bono lawyers are needed to protect the 2024 election and the people administrating it on behalf of us all. These include opportunities for remote work in support of issues in other states and, for much of the work, state licensing may not be necessary.

The City Bar’s page of Election Protection Opportunities for Lawyers is updated on a regular basis, and it has links to election-protection groups like “We the Action,” which this Tuesday, September 17, is hosting a webinar with a number of groups seeking volunteers to help in a variety of areas. (September 17 is also “National Voter Registration Day.”)

The Election Official Legal Defense Network (EOLDN), is a nonpartisan group formed by election lawyers who have worked for both Republican and Democratic candidates. EOLDN connects election officials and poll workers across the country who have been harassed and intimidated with pro bono attorneys who can provide them with legal guidance and, where appropriate, representation for equitable relief.

EOLDN often does not need attorneys with election law experience, although that experience can be helpful. Rather, it needs expertise in litigation, employee-side employment, First Amendment/defamation, criminal defense, and other areas of law. Attorneys who can give general guidance on legal options are also needed.

As the 2024 election season shifts into high gear, EOLDN has received an uptick in requests for legal help from election administrators across the country, and expects that demand will grow throughout the fall and into 2025. Election officials, already worried, heard on September 7 that one of the Presidential candidates had explicitly threatened them with prosecution and long-term prison sentences. Inflammatory attacks such as these directly incite the harassment and abuse of election officials, regardless of party. In fact, some of the most enduring abuse is hurled at moderate and conservative Republican election officials.

EOLDN seeks attorneys throughout the country, as the harassment is widespread. At the same time, they need more attorney depth in battleground, large and hotspot states: Arizona, Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Ohio, Florida, Texas, Colorado, New York and California. The election officials in those states expect increasing levels of harassment from members of the public, from partisan actors in their offices, from county commissioners and supervisors, and even from district attorneys.

Individual attorneys can sign up with EOLDN here.

Law firms can sign up with EOLDN here.

Finally, there is an enormous need for poll workers in many states. More information on poll working is here.

More information on the variety of ways lawyers can protect the upcoming election are available on the City Bar’s Election Protection Opportunity for Lawyers page, which will be updated as new information becomes available.