Center for Vulnerable Voters Offers Multipartisan Assistance Teams

The Center for Vulnerable Voters offers a program to assist North Carolina residents in residential communities with marking their absentee ballots. Some local election authorities can also send a Multipartisan Assistance Team (MAT) to residential communities to assist absentee voters.  

Residents have the right to participate as little, or as much as they want, in the voting process. If a resident does not want to vote, that is okay. With the upcoming March 5 Primary, here are some helpful dates and reminders as your community gets ready for elections.  

Important Dates  

January 19, Absentee ballots begin being mailed out to those who requested them.  

• Request a Multipartisan Assistance Team (MAT) sooner than later to come to your community to assist absentee voters. 
• Click here to find your local election authority for proper forms. 

February 15 – March 2, Early in-person voting.  

• Ambulatory residents may wish to go to the polling place, which provides many benefits: 
• Early voting often offers decreased wait times. If there is a line and if the voter is 75 years or older or disabled, they may go to the front of the line (per federal law) 
• Election officials from both political parties are present for checks and balances, protecting your residents’ voting rights 
• Allows your residents to receive correct answers to their questions from election officials who have been trained and are knowledgeable on voting laws 
• Click here to locate handicapped accessible early voting polling places  

February 27, Absentee ballot request deadline.  

• Contact your local election authority to ask for a MAT to assist residents requesting help with absentee ballot requests. 
• It is important to remember that you may have residents who do not wish to participate or are unable to participate in ballot requests because of cognitive impairment. It is unlawful for anyone to fill out ballot requests for such residents. 

Important Reminders   

Identify your facilities vulnerabilities:  

• Are staff trained in voting laws? 
• Does my facility have good management oversight? 
• Is there un-monitored “assistance” with ballot requests and/or submission? 
• Are outside groups asking staff to fill out ballots or ballot requests for residents?

What are my responsibilities as a director/administrator?  

• Protecting residents that may be considered “non compos mentis”, as if the resident cannot express, they wish to vote, they should not have a ballot marked for them 
• Educating and training staff on the voting laws in your state 
• Being aware of, and enforce, ballot assistance laws 
• Enacting protocols to protect residents from voter suppression and voter fraud 
• Educating staff that it is never “ok” to tell a resident who to vote for 
• Protecting staff from outside groups that offer financial compensation for ballot trafficking

It is imperative that residential communities take their role in protecting their residents seriously. Only with continued strong leadership can residential communities safeguard the residents. By protecting your residents, you will also be protecting your staff and your facility.   

For additional information or questions, visit the Center for Vulnerable Voters or contact Laura Williams, OTR/L, National Training Coordinator, at Laura.Williams@centerforvulnerablevoters.org.