Cleveland VOTES

Cleveland VOTES is recruiting for the 2026 Vote Squad, a team dedicated to reaching voters where they are through registration efforts, door-to-door conversations, and community-based civic engagement.

We're looking for individuals who believe in equity, participation, and the power of everyday people to shape our democracy.

✅ $20/hour
✅ Hybrid position
✅ Up to 80 hours per month

Applications now close June 25th! Don't miss your chance to make an impact this election season.

Apply today: www.clevotes.com/jobs

Until this week, HB 472 was a bipartisan bill that waived fees for birth certificates and IDs for individuals experiencing homelessness. Now the bill has been replaced and adds new language creating a photo ID verification portal for absentee ballot requests and/or requires voters to submit a photocopy of their driver's license to vote by mail.

At a time when Ohio's elections continue to be reported as secure, these proposed changes could:
• Create additional barriers for Ohio voters, particularly older adults who may struggle with new technology and those without reliable internet access.
• Place another unfunded mandate on county boards of elections, requiring already-stretched staff to take on additional responsibilities without additional resources.
• Present privacy risks, as the bill does not explain how private voter data will be protected, who will have access to it, or how it will be kept.

The committee hearing has already taken place. Here is how you can take action:
📞 Call your Ohio Representative and urge them to oppose HB 472.
☎️ Contact members of the Senate General Government Committee, including committee chair Roegner, and tell them not to build a rushed and insecure online system that puts Ohioans at risk and burdens our Boards of Elections with more unfunded mandates.

Find your representative here: https://bit.ly/3Q5nnvh

Join the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association on June 22nd from 1pm - 5pm for the Election Integrity Summit! The event brings together nationally recognized legal leaders, election officials, academics, media voices, and civic organizations for an important nonpartisan conversation about protecting public trust in democratic institutions and free and fair elections.

Designed for attorneys, students, educators, civic leaders, nonprofit professionals, and members of the public alike, the program aims to foster constructive dialogue, encourage civic engagement, and reinforce the importance of democratic institutions within our communities.

Learn more about this event and register here: https://clemetrobar.org/events/election-integrity-summit/