Lawyers' Group Sets Up Task Force to Protect the Vote from Racist Poll Workers, Vigilantes and More

We speak to Damon Hewitt, the head of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, which is spearheading nationwide efforts to protect the vote in Tuesday's midterm elections. Republicans at the national and state levels have tried to disqualify thousands of absentee and mail-in ballots in an effort to swing close races in battleground states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Hewitt describes how litigation has become a major part of the election process, given the increased number of election deniers and white supremacists who now hold positions as election officials. "When the casualness of racism is weaponized in the electoral process, that leads to voter suppression if we don't stand up," says Hewitt, who cautions that the final election results in Tuesday's midterms may take a couple of days. He suggests people report problems to the Election Protection hotline: 866-OUR-VOTE.

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