Will My Vote Count?

Sep 23, 2026

THIS WEEK: Will My Vote Count?

Will my vote count in the midterms?

A gnawing fear that something might go terribly wrong (as election day nears) has led thousands of Americans to take action.

Election protection used to be a pretty vague concept for a lot of people. Not anymore.

We should be reporting on that.

Some notes on covering election-related fears

Who’s afraid?

Two in Three Americans, according to a recent Gallup poll, fear that our political leaders may pressure election officials to change the results. Read more HERE.

A rogue DOJ

Another fear is that the DOJ’s election observation program will do more harm than good. Read more HERE.

National Security Emergency…or something

There is concern among democracy watchdog groups that a disgruntled Trump — worried that the election will not go the way he wants it to go — might declare a national security emergency. There is some evidence that this is not a totally far-fetched fear.

Nothing to see here

Underplaying these fears is a mistake that runs counter to our mission. Still, some reporting has made an effort to two-sides this, suggesting that legitimate concerns are on par with conspiracy theories about undocumented immigrants voting and election workers stuffing ballots in the garbage.

Best to report these election-related worries (the legitimate and the illegitimate) in separate pieces so as not to confuse voters. Some are substantiated by rigorous reporting. Others have never been.

Voting as an act of endurance

In many states, voting requires a level of endurance that frankly seems kind of ridiculous. There, we said it.

A few of the most startling: State bans (some are now getting repealed) on water and food distribution, exceedingly long lines (in the cold or heat) and excessively long commutes to caste a vote. Stories that explore how your state/beat compares to others, relationships between race/political affiliation/age and average voting wait, etc. can help make people aware of unfair discrepancies that penalize some voters and not others.

Groups to Know

Democracy Docket: Tracks state and national election litigation.

Common Cause: Files voting rights suits, works to educate, protect and mobilize voters.

Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law:

Administers the national 866-OUR-VOTE hotline and manages legal field programs within the Election Protection coalition. Its volunteers and partners help voters navigate registration and voting problems, document complaints and address barriers to participation.

Protect Democracy: is participating in litigation challenging federal voter-data collection and DOJ threats to deploy federal agents to polling locations. It also publishes calendars tracking key deadlines for: voting, counting, certification and recounting in states —including Texas, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.