Amid Ongoing Attacks on Voting Access Ahead of 2022 Midterm Elections, Texas Democratic Party Holds Kickoff Week of Voter Protection Trainings

Just this week, the Party has helped – and is continuing to help – organize and train hundreds of Texans to protect voters and become ambassadors for voter education

AUSTIN, Texas -- Over the past week and headed into this weekend, the Texas Democratic Party has held a kickoff week of voter protection events – recruiting, organizing, and training hundreds of everyday Texans to protect voters and become ambassadors for voter education.

“So long as y’all are there [at the polling place], we’ll make sure that everyone who shows up actually has their vote protected and cast,” said State Rep. Jasmine Crockett on a virtual Voter Protection Training Kickoff with over 150 Texans. “...I don’t like saying ‘Turn Texas Blue’ – we’re going to turn up and we’re going to show out and show HOW BLUE we are.”

This kickoff week has included:

• a virtual Voter Protection Training Kickoff with Rep. Jasmine Crockett on Tuesday for voter protection volunteer mobilization;
• Texas Democratic Judicial Nominee Meet and Greet Receptions in Dallas and Fort Worth on Wednesday and Thursday with the Texas Democratic Lawyers Association to build the ranks of Democratic lawyers ready to protect the right to vote;
• a virtual Poll Watcher Recruitment Kickoff Phone Bank on Thursday to recruit poll watchers, who are crucial in ensuring everyone can cast a ballot that counts – by observing polling places, advocating for voters and reporting any wrongdoing;

and will also include:

• a virtual Voter Education Ambassador Training tomorrow to equip Texans with key voting information to share with voters they’re talking with;
• and another Voter Education Ambassador Training on Sunday at the Texas Young Democrats State Board Meeting.

“Texas Republicans are trying everything to prevent Texans from exercising their right to vote: passing legislation to making voting harder, cutting voting hours, and encouraging voter intimidation – they will stop at nothing to ensure as few people as possible are able to exercise their right to vote,” said Rose Clouston, Texas Democratic Party Director of Voter Protection. “We’re going to fight back against these assaults on our rights. We’re training and mobilizing thousands of Texans – from across the state – to help guide their friends and families through byzantine voting laws and stand watch at polling places to keep intimidating far-right instigators from getting between vulnerable voters and the ballot box. Texas is absolutely a blue state – and we’re going to make damn sure that Black, Hispanic, elderly, disabled, young, non-English speaking, and all other eligible Texans are able to vote so we can show these Republicans that no amount of insidious voter suppression will prevent us from having our voices heard in our democracy.”

Voter Protection Director Rose Clouston can be found on Twitter at @RoseClouston