After witnessing firsthand the mayhem and madness that pervaded Florida during the 2000 presidential election, Sara Blajian was determined not to sit back and let it happen again.
"That was just a circus," the second-year law student said. "We were sort of shocked and didn't know how to attack the problem."
Election Protection North Carolina, a statewide and nonpartisan initiative, now is putting its gears in motion to prevent similar Election Day problems.
Working in conjunction with the University's Center for Civil Rights, N.C. Fair Share, Just Democracy and several other groups, Election Protection has the local and national manpower to educate voters about their rights.
"Our goal is to make sure that every legally registered voter has the right to vote," said Anita Earls, director of advocacy for UNC's Center for Civil Rights at the UNC School of Law.
Targeted polling sites are expected to have a large number of new voters or voters who might need help translating the ballot. Close to 300 poll monitors will oversee precincts that stretch from Buncombe County in the west to Pender County in the east.
"We worked in coalition to identify the polling places that have had problems in the past," Earls said.
Election Protection volunteers will greet voters as they enter the polls and remain on hand for those who encounter problems or have questions regarding new identification requirements, obtaining a provisional ballot or voting for a straight-party ticket.
Volunteers will distribute copies of the Voter Bill of Rights before voters enter the polling place. These rights include a provision that allows for three additional ballots and the right to take people into the polls with them if they need help reading or understanding ballot procedures.
