A coalition of voting rights organizations says it has trained hundreds of poll monitors and poll watchers to observe polling places and report suspected voting-rights violations during the 2026 midterm election.
The volunteers will be stationed in and around polling locations to identify and report suspected cases of voter intimidation, electioneering or election interference, the coalition said. Hundreds of attorneys and other Illinois residents have been trained for the roles, with many additionally accredited by their local election authorities.
The coalition said poll monitors and watchers provide an additional, independent means of observing and reporting suspected violations. They do not replace election judges, who are trained by local election authorities and are responsible for administering polling places. The group said monitors and watchers are advised not to take action on their own.
Groups involved
The coalition is made up of the Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, Chicago Votes, Common Cause Illinois, Equity and Transformation, First Defense Legal Aid, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, the League of Women Voters of Illinois, the League of Women Voters of Chicago and the Workers Center for Racial Justice.
The groups said they have worked together in past elections, but that threats of interference and the spread of misinformation and disinformation have elevated the need to expand election oversight in 2026. The coalition said it has also established lines of communication with election officials across the state.
How to report problems
Anyone may report suspected polling-place violations by calling or texting 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) in Illinois or Indiana, the coalition said. General information about the election and polling places is available at VOTE411.org/LWVIL.
"We strongly encourage calls to the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline to report any issues at the polls," said Christina Beeler, senior counsel with the Midwest Voting Rights Program at the Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights. She said the committee, with the national Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, manages a free, nonpartisan Election Protection hotline for reporting incidents, asking questions and triaging complaints.
According to the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law's website, 866-OUR-VOTE is part of the nonpartisan Election Protection coalition, which during the 2024 general election cycle fielded about 56,000 contacts.
"We don't want any voter to stay home on election day out of fear for their safety or concern that their right to vote will be challenged," said Becky Simon, president of the League of Women Voters of Illinois. "What's important on November 3 is that all eligible voters go out and vote."
"We hope that this campaign instills confidence in voters that their rights and safety will be protected. Elections are for the people," said Christian Harris, executive director of Common Cause Illinois. "It's only appropriate that the public plays a role."