Protected tens of thousands of voters from disfranchisement, intimidation, suppression, and election manipulation, and secured new precedents around the Ku Klux Klan Act and the Voting Rights Act.
Protecting Free & Fair Elections
Our Work
Without free, fair, and secure elections, voters have no voice, little control over the direction of the country; and few ways to correct course when things go awry.
Elections are the linchpin of our democracy. Holding elections, and ensuring that power changes hands in accordance with their outcomes, is the essence of democratic self-government. By defending them, we also protect our rights and our system of government.
This takes two steps. First, we defend the process of holding elections. We do so by making sure election officials are allowed to do their work without interference; that election systems are secure; and that politicians are unable to dictate the outcome or manipulate election rules.
Second, we protect voters’ ability to participate meaningfully in the process, free from intimidation and harassment.
By ensuring that elections remain free, fair, and secure, we maintain our collective ability to shape the future of the country — or, when needed, to change course. In that, we protect voters’ trust in the results, even when their preferred candidates lose.
- Build secure, accessible, and accurate election systems and processes that are free from interference from foreign adversaries or domestic political actors.
- Create guardrails that ensure voters and candidates abide by the outcomes of every election.
- Foster public confidence in the fact that elections are free, fair, and secure.
Protecting voters from disenfranchisement
Defending elections
Helped defend the 2020, 2022, and 2024 elections from attempts to manipulate and subvert a free and fair result, and assisted in the passage of reforms to the Electoral Count Act.
What to expect during the 2026 election season
October 20, 2026
While many of the worst federal interference efforts have failed, we need to remain vigilant throughout the midterm election season through the process of voting, counting, and certification.
No, the president cannot declare martial law to interfere with elections
The president does not have the authority to declare martial law. No provision in the Constitution grants it and no federal law authorizes it.
November 2, 2026
DOJ and DHS sued over baseless threats to prosecute election workers
Unions representing election workers, nonprofit voter organizations challenge DOJ’s attempt to intimidate and coerce election workers into disenfranchising eligible voters.
October 30, 2026
Appeals court keeps protections against DHS’s armed home visits in place
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit denied the government's emergency motion to pause the preliminary injunction issued last week.
October 30, 2026
Defending election workers from unlawful threats and coercion
We are suing the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security to stop the Trump administration’s efforts to intimidate election workers.
October 30, 2026
Challenging DHS’s field investigations into voter eligibility
The California Nurses Association and other groups filed suit against DHS challenging their practice of sending armed federal agents to Americans' homes to question their eligibility to vote.
October 29, 2026
California’s vote count, explained
Here’s what you need to know about vote counting in California, and how it’s changed in recent years
October 29, 2026
Voter rolls, explained
Voter roll maintenance helps ensure that voter rolls contain the right people and can be trusted as the foundation of our elections.
October 27, 2026
Protecting voter privacy and the integrity of U.S. elections
Protect Democracy and co-counsel represent Common Cause and four individual voters in a lawsuit to stop the DOJ from building a national voter database.
October 26, 2026
Frequently asked questions about the 2026 midterm elections
No, President Trump cannot cancel the 2026 midterm elections, but he is doing everything he can to interfere with them.
October 23, 2026
What to do if you face intimidation at the polls
Federal agents at or near polling locations could be voter intimidation even if they are not right outside that location. Here’s how you should respond.
October 22, 2026