Recruit & hire trainers
We run an open application, rolling interviews and structured onboarding to build a bench of regional trainers with real standing in their states.
Nonpartisan voter protection · 2026 cycle
Democracy holds when people show up prepared.
Election Defenders is a nonpartisan voter protection project of The Love Center. We recruit, train and deploy community defenders across seven southern states, so that on Election Day, every voter meets someone who knows the rules and has their back.
- 7
- Southern states
- Nov 3
- 2026 Election Day
- The Love Center
- Core curriculum
- Regional
- Trainer network
Who we are
A nonpartisan project of The Love Center
We build local capacity for voter protection, democratic preparedness and community resilience across the South.
Election Defenders works where turnout is hardest won and where the rules change most often. Rather than parachuting in for a single cycle, we hire and support regional trainers who live in the communities they serve. Those trainers deliver The Love Center's Election Defender training to volunteers who then staff polling places, answer voter questions, document problems and escalate them to the right authority: calmly, accurately and without partisan spin.
We are nonpartisan by design and by discipline. We do not support or oppose any candidate or party. Our only client is the voter standing in line.
Why it matters: most voters never read an election code. They meet one person at a polling place who either knows the answer or doesn’t. Our work is making sure that person knows the answer.
What we are doing
Four things, done well, in seven states
Everything we build rolls up to a single question: on Election Day, does a prepared, nonpartisan defender stand between a voter and a problem?
Train the trainers
A dedicated Train-the-Trainer weekend puts every regional trainer through the full curriculum, the run of show and the escalation protocols before they teach a single volunteer.
Deliver The Love Center training
Our core Election Defender training, adapted state by state for local election law, early voting rules and certification timelines.
Stand up on the ground
From the first day of early voting through certification, trained defenders are present, documenting and escalating, not guessing.
Where we work
Each state has its own materials workspace. Partners receive a passphrase from their state lead.
What’s coming
Being built right now
A preview of what partners will find behind each state tab as the 2026 cycle ramps up.
State-specific materials for seven states
The Love Center curriculum, rebuilt state by state. Same backbone, different election code, because a poll observer in Louisiana and one in North Carolina are not working from the same rulebook.
- Training decks tailored to each state’s election law
- Facilitator outlines and run-of-show documents
- Volunteer handouts and sign-in materials
- Escalation trees with the right authority for each state
A live calendar for the 2026 cycle
Every date that matters, in one place, per state: early voting windows, training dates, county and state certification deadlines, and the internal milestones behind them.
- Early voting open and close dates by state
- County and state certification deadlines
- Planned training dates and trainer assignments
- Flags for states where the law is still moving
Cycle milestones at a glance
Hiring & onboarding
Train-the-Trainer
Voting & certification
Partner with us
Bring Election Defenders to your community
We work with community organizations, faith networks, civic groups, legal partners and funders who want trained, nonpartisan defenders in their state. Tell us what you are seeing on the ground and we will tell you honestly whether we can help.
- Partnerships & training
- rosario@electiondefense.info
- Who to ask for
- Rosario Palacios, Training Director
- Parent organization
- The Love Center (TLC)
What to include in your first email
- Your organization, and the state or counties you cover
- Roughly how many volunteers you can bring to a training
- What you need most: training, materials, trainers, or coordination
- Your timeline, and any dates already on your calendar