Broad Coalition Of New York Organizations Launch “Hands Off Our Vote” Campaign

Photos: Hands Off NYC

NEW YORK CITY — Today, in the face of increasing attacks on election administration, Hands Off NYC (HONYC), Common Cause New York (CCNY), and New York City- and New York State-based organizations gathered to launch the “Hands Off Our Vote” campaign that is preparing New Yorkers to vote, organizing them to vote, and activating them to protect their votes in the event of election interference. U.S. Representative Jerry Nadler, NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal, City Council Member Gale Brewer, Chair of the Council Committee on Governmental Operations, and City Council Member Carl Wilson, joined the coalition for the announcement. 

The Hands Off Our Vote coalition represents legal advocacy groups, immigrant rights groups, and the largest community organizing groups in the state. From now through Election Day, the coalition is focused on affirming the current safety of our elections and organizing New Yorkers to utilize all forms of voting. Through the seating of the next Congress in January 2027, key coalition members will also be planning for mobilizing New Yorkers to respond in the case of possible election interference. 

“New Yorkers are tough and we are loud — we’re cutting through the noise, lies, and misinformation to encourage our friends, families, and neighbors to go out and vote this November. Autocrats are attempting to squash our confidence, and we won’t let them. We are prepared to show up and show out before, during, and after the election to ensure our voices are heard and our votes are counted. If the Trump Regime tries to intimidate voters or mess with our elections here or anywhere in the country, we won’t let it slide. We are ready to hit the streets to protect our votes. You don’t mess with our elections unless you want to mess with New Yorkers, said Hae-Lin Choi, co-director of Hands Off NYC. 

“New Yorkers should be confident that whether they vote by mail, early in person, or on Election Day, their ballot will be counted. Our elections are run locally — not by the federal government — and nothing has changed. We encourage all New Yorkers to register to vote before the deadline if they still need to, make a voting plan ahead of time, and know our trained Election Protection volunteers are available if they have any questions. Now it’s time to go make your voices heard!” said Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause New York.

“Voting by mail in New York is legal, it’s safe, and it’s your right,” said Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-10). “Federal courts stopped the Trump administration from its corrupt attempt to interfere with New Yorkers’ access to their ballots. We will continue fighting to protect Americans’ fundamental right to vote in free and fair elections, including voting by mail. Request your ballot, send it back early, and make your voice heard.”

Statewide efforts: Ahead of early voting, Common Cause New York encourages all New Yorkers to familiarize themselves with key dates and information on how they can vote. Despite fearmongering from the Trump administration, nothing has changed. New York’s elections are run locally by, and for, New Yorkers — and voters still have three ways to vote: 

• By mail: If you voted by mail in the past, you still can. Any registered voter can request a mail ballot from the Board of Elections website without an excuse. Requests must be received by October 24th, or in person at a county Board of Elections by November 2nd.
• Early, in person: If you want to vote early, you can do so starting Saturday, October 24th through Sunday, November 1st.
• On Election Day: If you choose to vote on Election Day, polls will be open from 6:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. on Tuesday, November 3rd.

To ensure every voter can cast their ballot with confidence, a broad coalition of groups are engaged in statewide Election Protection efforts with HONYC leading efforts in NYC. Since 2016, Common Cause NY has helped spearhead the statewide nonpartisan Election Protection program, and will again work with partners across the state to deploy hundreds of trained volunteers to serve as poll monitors who can assist voters with urgent questions, protect voting rights, and make sure voters have the most accurate information:

• On Election Day, volunteers will be stationed at poll sites throughout NYC and across the state. CCNY’s monitors are trained volunteers who can answer any questions voters have and will be there to observe for any potential issues voters encounter.
• Digital poll monitors will also be monitoring social media platforms including X/Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to answer questions and assist voters in real time. Learn more here.
• When in doubt, voters can call the nonpartisan Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683).

To combat misinformation about New York’s elections, the New York State Board of Elections will continue to share important updates about upcoming deadlines and accurate information about how our elections are safe and secure. To keep up with the latest and most factual information, New Yorkers should follow the New York State Board of Elections social channels on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. New York City residents can get up-to-date election information from the New York City Board of Elections at www.vote.nyc and by following the NYC Board on X/Twitter.

NYC efforts

Since Fall 2025, HONYC has acted as NYC’s hub of coordination committed to standing up to the Trump Administration’s attacks on our freedoms, families, and communities. With 10,000+ trained volunteers and 250+ unions, faith leaders, and community groups, HONYC will activate as many voters as possible, educate New Yorkers on the threats to the elections, and prepare to mobilize en masse if election sabotage happens here or anywhere in the country. HONYC’s plan includes:

• Tabling, canvassing, and talking to our neighbors to drive voter registration, educate on early voting and mail voting, and share what to do if the elections are sabotaged anywhere in the country.
• Training people to know their rights, monitor the polls, respond to efforts to sabotage our elections, and support our communities against intimidation from ICE or other Federal attacks.
• Preparing New Yorkers to mobilize in the event of election sabotage between Election Day and Congress being seated by ensuring New Yorkers are ready for sustained protests, boycotts, and other nonviolent actions that disrupt the status quo.
• Running scenario planning sessions and coordination calls for our coalition of over 250 organizations, labor unions, youth organizations, and faith leaders to ensure we have a shared understanding of the threats and are ready to rapidly mobilize together if needed.
• Recruiting volunteers to become civic ambassadors who are trained to organize their communities, educate their neighbors on the efforts to undermine the elections, and share actions for how we can defend them. Leveraging our massive social media reach (millions of views per month) and coalition to encourage as many New Yorkers as possible to vote while educating them on how we protect those votes.

Congressional Districts 3, 4, and 17

Coalition partners Make the Road New York (MTR) and Citizen Action of New York (CANY) are investing in voter education, turnout, and mobilization efforts in congressional districts 3 and 4 (Nassau County) and 17 (northern Westchester and Rockland).

Make The Road NY’s plans include:

• Organizing and anchoring a Long Island-specific Election protection/defense coalition, including Long Island Progressive Coalition, NYCC, 1199 SEIU, 32BJ SEIU, NYCLU, and more.
• Holding 5 trainings in the next month in NYC and on Long Island around election protection and election defense.
• Educating several thousand NYers through canvassing and community event efforts / distributing literature and voting information.
• Training poll watchers alongside Common Cause NY.
• Planning events, rallies, and outreach, including “Party at the Polls” events for early voting.

Citizen Action of New York’s plans include: 

• In addition to a robust poll watcher program run by CCNY,  CANY is training hundreds of volunteers to organize to defend the right to vote.
• Building on decades of organizing around democratic reforms, CANY is organizing with partners in Westchester, the Hudson Valley, and across upstate New York through public events, canvasses, rallies, and more in an effort to protect free & fair elections.
• Voter engagement canvasses will be occurring weekly in five (5) regions across the state now through Election Day.

Additional Quotes from Speakers:

“New Yorkers should be able to exercise their right to vote freely, safely, and confidently, without intimidation or interference. Protecting that right means making sure people know their rights, have access to accurate information, and are prepared to stand together if those rights are threatened. I’m grateful to the organizations across the city who are doing the work to ensure that every vote is protected on election day and that every voice is heard,” said Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams.

Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal said: “Donald Trump knows his inhumane immigration policies, unpopular war with Iran, and sky-high fuel prices are leading him towards electoral disaster this November – so now he’s trying to rig the election and deny New Yorkers the right to vote by mail. Together with Hands Off NYC and Common Cause NYC, I’m proud to stand with Congressman Jerry Nadler, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and Council Member Gale Brewer to decry Trump’s attempts to sabotage the midterm elections, and I encourage every Manhattanite to turn out and vote this November.”

“Our democracy depends on citizens participating in elections so that elected officials like me are guided and held accountable by our constituents. We understand how important voting is because, nationally, we see many efforts to limit voting, sow distrust in the process, and make access to the ballot more difficult. All citizens must have easy access to voter registration, a variety of ways to vote—mail-in, early, or same-day—and feel confident that their votes are counted fairly and accurately. Hands Off Our Vote is important to helping New Yorkers prepare, plan, and protect this essential civic right,” said New York City Council Member Gale A. Brewer, Chair of the Committee on Governmental Operations, State & Federal Legislation. 

“Everyone in New York and everyone in America wants a voice in determining our government and our future. We need a strong democracy and fair elections for our city and our nation to work,” said Michael Kink, Executive Director of the Strong Economy For All Coalition. “In this moment, businesses and business leaders need to stand up for democracy and fairness by signing the Business for Democracy Pledge. We know which side we’re on; with persuasion and pressure, we’ll make them demonstrate which side they’re on.”

“PSC/CUNY is eager to participate in the Election Defense Campaign along with the Hands Off coalition. Generations of workers have fought and bled for the right to have their vote count. We and our members understand the gravity of this moment for American democracy. We can all see the lengths to which Trump and his enablers are going to suppress turnout and discredit the integrity of the elections. But we also know that organized people will prevail. Along with our labor siblings around the state and the country, we are prepared to ensure that voters know their rights, that they feel safe voting, and that whatever the outcome, our elections are free and fair,” said James Davis, President of the Professional Staff Congress/CUNY. 

“Most Americans want the same things: to care for our families, feel safe in our communities, and have a say in our futures. For LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers, those fundamental freedoms are under threat. We have fought back against attacks on transgender healthcare, attempts to strip students of their rights, and efforts to push LGBTQIA+ people out of public life. And now, as the administration seeks to impose new restrictions on how Americans cast their ballots, we must be just as vigilant in defending our right to vote. Every American deserves the freedom to participate fully in our democracy and shape their own future without unnecessary barriers standing in their way,” said Kei Williams, Executive Director of NEW Pride Agenda. 

“The current administration has enriched the wealthy while cutting access to food, housing and healthcare for the rest of us – policies that are so unpopular that they are now doing everything they can to confuse voters and undermine elections in order to stay in power. The potential consequences of these actions will be widely felt among VOCAL-NY’s members and participants most of whom are low-income people of color impacted by homelessness, the War on Drugs, mass incarceration and the epidemic of HIV & AIDS. We are standing with our allies to protect democracy and to ensure that everyone knows how and where to vote on November 3rd,” said Nick Encalada-Malinowski, Organizing and Campaigns Director at VOCAL-NY.

“We veterans have made it our core mission to protect our democracy — and what could be more central to protecting democracy than protecting our constitutional right to vote and free and fair elections? We’ve defended our nation — and we are prepared to defend our elections,” said Jason Mount, U.S. Marine Corps Veteran and Member of Common Defense

“Our democracy has always been defined by every citizen’s right to vote in free and fair elections. Every voter from New York to California should be able to cast their ballot safely and without fear, exercising the fundamental right guaranteed by the 15th Amendment. But that right is being threatened by the Trump administration, which is fueling a campaign designed to intimidate voters. As the federal government continues to spew division during this election cycle, we must remember: nobody, including federal agents, local law enforcement, or private individuals, is legally allowed to harass or threaten voters. All citizens, including newly naturalized citizens, must be able to exercise their right to vote without fear of intimidation or retaliation. New York will continue to protect people’s right to vote, stand up for our neighbors, and ensure integrity in our elections,” said Murad Awawdeh, President & CEO of New York Immigration Coalition. 

“We should guarantee each voter the same access to the ballot regardless of whether they vote early or on Election Day or by mail. That is the fundamental right of democracy. We will organize and educate our communities to make sure that we are ready and that elections stay free and fair,” said Sonia Perez, Member, Make the Road New York.

“Every day, faith leaders and their communities across New York City overcome differences in beliefs and practices to work together for the civic health of our city. Together, we will do the same for a bedrock principle of our democracy this November. The right to vote is sacred and protecting free and fair elections is our calling,” said The Rev. Dr. Chloe Breyer of The Interfaith Center of NY. 

“With just weeks until Election Day, the Trump Administration is doing everything it can to undermine mail-in voting and intimidate voters,” said Chris Alexander, Executive Director of the NAACP New York State Conference. “This is a coordinated assault on our democratic systems, and a direct strike against Black New Yorkers and historically marginalized communities who have fought for their place at the ballot box. Generations before us marched, organized, and bled for this right. It has never protected itself. From now until November, we will ensure every voice is heard and our elections remain fair and accessible to all. We will be doing the work to prepare our communities and neighbors, ensuring they know their rights at the polls, and are ready to stand together to continue to defend this fundamental right.”