Ensuring fair and accessible elections in Nebraska.
Civic Nebraska’s Election Protection Program empowers everyday Nebraskans to support transparent and accessible elections. Through trained, nonpartisan volunteers, we observe how voting works in real time and use that information to strengthen the electoral process across the state.
What is Election Protection?
Civic Nebraska’s Election Protection Program is a nonpartisan, volunteer-driven effort to support fair and accessible elections in Nebraska. Volunteers observe and document how voting is administered at polling places, helping identify what’s working well and where improvements are needed.
By collecting real-time data from across the state, the program provides a clearer picture of voters’ experiences and helps ensure elections are administered consistently and fairly.
What Does Election Protection Look Like on Election Day?
On Election Day, trained volunteers—called Election Protectors—are stationed at polling places across Nebraska. Their role is simple but important: observe, document, and report.
Election Protectors do not interfere with the voting process or interact with voters about their choices. Instead, they serve as neutral observers, focused on capturing what happens throughout the day.
They pay close attention to how elections are run, noting any irregularities, how voters are treated, and whether polling places meet accessibility standards, including ADA compliance.
By collecting real-time data from across the state, the program provides a clearer picture of voters’ experiences and helps ensure elections are administered consistently and fairly.
How the Program Works
To participate, volunteers must be at least 18 years old, live in Nebraska, and complete a training session—either virtually or in person. The training prepares them to observe elections in a nonpartisan, respectful, and effective way.
On Election Day, Election Protectors use standardized tools to report their observations back to Civic Nebraska. This ensures that data is consistent and reliable across all polling locations.
After the election, Civic Nebraska compiles and analyzes this information to produce a post-election report. These reports highlight both strengths and areas for improvement in how elections are administered throughout the state.
By collecting real-time data from across the state, the program provides a clearer picture of voters’ experiences and helps ensure elections are administered consistently and fairly.
Why It Matters
Election Protection helps build trust in the democratic process by increasing transparency and accountability. The program’s findings are shared with county and state officials, policymakers, and the public to support ongoing improvements in election administration.
This data also strengthens Civic Nebraska’s broader work to modernize voting systems, expand access to the ballot, and ensure every eligible voter can participate without barriers.
At its core, Election Protection is a way for Nebraskans to play an active role in safeguarding democracy—by simply observing and reporting what happens at the polls.
Submit an Election Protection Volunteer Interest Form
Help ensure elections in Nebraska are fair, accessible, and transparent. By volunteering as an Election Protector, you can play a direct role in strengthening our democracy and supporting voters across the state.
Sign up today to get trained and join a growing network of Nebraskans committed to protecting the vote.