From poll workers to social justice groups that encourage voter participation, many communities recognize that safety threats and risks are ever-present for elections-related work — no matter the type of election or which period in the cycle you’re at, including weeks after elections have passed. Gain the skills you need to understand what risks you face, build your capacity to handle these risks, and guide your community safely through elections using our frameworks and training series.
Vision Change Win’s Electoral Safety programs equip your organization with the tools, knowledge, frameworks, protocols and practices needed to quantify the election risks you face and address them using the best available methods.
Download our Electoral Safety toolkit to get started; then, register for our two-part training series to continue developing your organization’s capacity to adeptly handle election risks.
The recent November 2024 election demonstrated that the risks and safety threats are greater than ever for many left movement groups. Whether your group is door-knocking, protesting, or coordinating mutual aid, building safety infrastructure is critical to protect our communities.
The VCW Electoral Safety Toolkit is our latest offering to help you build your skills, knowledge, and capacity to recognize and handle threats. The packet is filled with safety tools, best practices, templates, and questions to consider as you engage in canvassing and organizing before, during, and after election seasons.
The Building Our Own Training Series supports progressive electoral organizers. It provides instruction to strengthen their community safety practices, in order to prevent and address violence or harm that may impact their organization.
Building Our Own is a two-part training series. The first training module is offered quarterly for three hours, and a second is offered as an asynchronous recorded training available to participants for up to one month after they complete the first session.
The past three elections have seen an unprecedented increase in the volume and intensity of safety threats to poll workers, advocacy groups, and other election-focused organizations. From bomb threats to swatting to intimidation tactics, personnel involved in elections increasingly need to build risk assessment and mitigation skills. Building safety and security capacity can not only help them protect themselves but also the vulnerable voter communities they aim to serve.
Electoral security is a set of practices that build the collective capacity of progressive electoral organizers to address violence and harm meant to disrupt their vital work.
VCW uses a holistic approach to electoral security, rooted in abolitionism and designed to build the collective capacity of progressive organizers and organizations.
At VCW, we believe that BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities have created safety outside of the police and prisons for generations.
Our trainers have between 10 – 40 years of experience working directly on safety and security protocols; and all have experience coordinating community safety programs for communities that include BIPOC, LGBTQ people, women, immigrants, low-income people, people with disabilities, survivors of violence, and other marginalized communities.
If you are experiencing an urgent threat or are anticipating a threat, we recommend you check out our Rapid Response system to submit a ticket for support.
