Key facts
- Democrats plan to train tens of thousands of volunteers to monitor US midterm election polls.
- The initiative, called the New Battlefield Project, aims to counter voter intimidation and interference.
- Volunteers will be trained to respond to voter needs and document potential legal violations at polling places.
- The project includes a national early-vote campaign and a 'democracy defense network' to combat disinformation.
- The ASDC plans to train volunteers in 57 states and territories, targeting competitive districts.
- The Trump administration has not ruled out sending federal agents to polling places.
The Democratic Party is launching a comprehensive initiative to safeguard the upcoming US midterm elections against anticipated interference, particularly from Donald Trump and his allies. The program, named the New Battlefield Project, will involve training tens of thousands of volunteers nationwide to monitor polling places, encourage early voting, and establish a network to combat disinformation and potential voter intimidation.
The Association of State Democratic Committees (ASDC), an arm of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), is spearheading the effort, aiming to train volunteers in 57 states and territories. The goal is to have a presence at 25% of the nation's approximately 95,000 election day polling places, with a focus on districts where races are expected to be competitive. These volunteers, identifiable by blue vests, will serve as a visible deterrent to intimidation and will be trained to assist voters, such as helping them find correct polling locations or informing them about provisional ballots. They will also be tasked with documenting any actions that may violate election laws.
Concerns about potential interference are heightened by past actions and statements from the Trump administration. While the homeland security secretary has stated immigration agents' role is not to patrol polling places, he has not ruled out their presence if threats emerge or warrants need serving. President Trump's own interventions have fueled fears of meddling in the electoral process.
Jane Kleeb, chair of the Nebraska Democratic party and president of the ASDC, emphasized that this project is more extensive and coordinated than previous election protection efforts. The initiative also includes a national campaign to encourage early voting, urging voters to "bank their vote" through mail-in or in-person casting. Furthermore, a "democracy defense network," led by Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg, will be established to identify and counter tactics like disinformation, dark money, AI manipulation, and election subversion, facilitating knowledge sharing among state parties.