Election Integrity in 2022
How to BE the CHANGE you want to see

In the previous Election Integrity Project^® California, Inc. (EIPCa) newsletter, a question was posed: “Until the election laws can be exposed as counterproductive to fair and honest elections and erosive to election integrity, and public officials reverse such laws, how can citizens help remove suspicions and ensure integrity and security in the chain of custody?”

Since 2011 EIPCa has provided many answers to that question.

Clearly, one way to contribute is to become a trained observer.

The time window for signing up for EIPCa observer training for the June primary expired March 31, and we have moved on to the training phase of our program. A recent policy update shined a light on the value and integrity of EIPCa training: https://www.eip-ca.com/letters/Update_on_the_Integrity_of_CA_Elections_03242022.pdf

In early July the volunteer button will reactivate and we encourage everyone who missed the opportunity to volunteer for June to sign up as early as possible to receive observer training for the general election.

But what if you missed that March 31 deadline, or you reside in a county that cannot provide observer training for lack of a leadership team?

Fortunately, there are other powerful ways you can be instrumental in providing a positive answer to the doubts that abound these days. EIPCa encourages everyone to become involved in the election process beyond simply voting in person. To ensure fair and honest elections, all concerned citizens must take some responsibility to assist in this fight in order to secure honest outcomes.

One simple way is to become properly trained by local county election officers to become an election season worker. Citizens can apply with the county to be a poll or Vote Center worker, or seasonal elections office worker. For information, visit the website of your county elections office.

Finally, everyone can become a private citizen observer. In the next month EIPCa will be providing voter education articles via our email blasts, newsletter and website. Armed with that information, all voters can also be effective citizen observers.

Here’s what you can do to make a difference as a citizen observer:

• Commit to voting in person — your ballot will be much more secure and be counted more quickly and accurately.
• Sign up for our newsletter (https://www.eip-ca.com/signup/) and read/study our voter information emails that will come out between now and election time.
• If you see or experience any irregularities, download the Citizen Incident Statement and Instructions form; fill it out and send it in as instructed.
• To become an EIPCa Observer and train to join the EIPCa observer team in your county for the November General Election, visit the Volunteer button at www.eip-ca.com starting in July and follow the instructions.
• Consider joining the EIPCa Coordination Team in your county. Recruitment is currently suspended as we work to train, deploy and support observers for June 7. Job descriptions and required paperwork can be requested from participating County Coordinators.
• Vital: if your county is still without an EIPCa coordination team, step up to help form that team. Applications will once again be available under the Volunteer button at https://www.eip-ca.com/volunteer/ in June or July. Those who can be put in place early to mid summer will be aided in becoming a fully established and functional team in plenty of time for the November election.

REMEMBER: THERE CAN BE NO VOLUNTEER TEAM WITHOUT A LEADERSHIP TEAM. YOU MUST BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE.

We encourage you to do as much as possible, and to encourage others to do the same.

Only you can ensure a Fair, Honest and Transparent election season.

"THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.

Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph...."

Thomas Paine