I have spent many years working to protect the right to vote, including supporting legislation and State Board of Election rules that make it easier for people to register and vote absentee and for college students to vote, recruiting volunteers and providing training on voter protection, and working up to and on (and the day after) election day to help Democratic voters, activists, and candidates resolve voting-related legal issues. In the past four years, I’ve spent election day at the Northern Virginia boiler rooms in Fairfax, at the DPVA headquarters in Richmond, and at Tom Periello’s house in Charlottesville. I’ve worked closely with Democratic Party of Virginia staff and volunteers and the DNC Voter Protection team to make sure that every Virginian is able to exercise the right to vote.
This year, especially in light of the onslaught of voter suppression legislation since the 2008 election, the DNC, the Obama campaign, and the DPVA will be working hard to make sure that people know the rules and that their votes are counted. Virginia is one of 10 states that has a DNC-funded voter protection coordinator. The DNC has also launched its gottavote.org website that provides state-specific information on how to register, what to bring to the polls, and where to vote, and provides forms and even reminders. I look forward to continuing to work with the DNC and DPVA to make very vote for Barack Obama and Tim Kaine count this November.