Protect the Vote in November 2022

Threats to our democracy didn’t start with the January 6 insurrection, and they didn’t end there. Right now, Republican politicians, right-wing media figures, and well-funded lobby groups are continuing to spread lies and disinformation about our elections and voting systems.

At the state level, legislators and allies of the former president are using their power to restrict voting rights, interfere with the electoral process, and draw biased election maps that create heavily gerrymandered districts and protect their grip on power.

Meanwhile, in the very halls of Congress targeted by the January 6 insurrection, senators have repeatedly used the filibuster to block laws that could protect our democracy and expand the right to vote.

With less than a year until the 2022 midterm election, we must do everything we can to safeguard our elections and protect voting rights, and ensure that voting rights laws and district maps are based on facts, evidence, and data.

We cannot build the fair, equitable, science-based policies we need unless we secure fair elections and equal access to the vote. And we will not solve the most pressing issues of our time—including climate change, environmental injustice, racial inequity, nuclear proliferation, and the pandemic—unless we have a healthy, functioning democracy where everyone’s voice can be heard.

The science community, like every part of civil society, must stand up for democracy before it’s too late. It is people like you—who value scientific integrity, fairness, and accountability—that can take on these threats and help build a winning coalition with the power to protect democracy and create smarter, stronger, more equitable policies.

Here's how you can get started right now.

Sign up to join the Voting Rights Protection Team. Get involved, let us know how you can get active, and what support you would like from us.

Organize your networks to protect voting rights — You are the most powerful person to influence other people in your networks. In this training, you'll learn the most effective skills for getting people to vote and take action to protect voting rights. Our how-to guide on Effective One-on-One Meetings for Mobilizing People into Action for Voting Rights highlights the key things you should know.

Call your senators today to keep the pressure on to change the filibuster and pass critical voting rights legislation such as the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

Political science points to a hard truth: The window to protect voting rights is rapidly closing. We urgently need federal protections. Read more: The Clock is Running Out to Protect Voting Rights (Michael Latner, UCS Senior Voting Rights Fellow)

Demystifying the Disinformation Machine: Resources for Protecting Science & Democracy -- An onslaught of disinformation is being used to confuse and demoralize voters and obstruct free and fair elections. Get the tools, tips, and action opportunities you need to effectively fight back.

Learn more about the Science for a Healthy Democracy campaign, which works to develop a series of science-based steps for combatting voter suppression and gerrymandering, and to reduce barriers to participation in our elections and our democracy. We are working to ensure that all voices are heard by advocating for democracy reform, and by helping scientists and communities form productive partnerships to advance just, evidence-based solutions.