Cleveland VOTES

Dear Ohio Secretary of State, make curbside voting more accessible for Ohioans with disabilities.

Ohio law guarantees the right to curbside voting for those who are physically unable to enter a polling location [R.C. 3501.29(C)]. While we have seen signs erected at all of the polling locations we’ve been to, the signs themselves are not accessible.

Are you a resident who wants to help make curbside voting more accessible?

➡️ Read the full open letter here: bit.ly/CURBSIDEVOTE
➡️ Sign and share the petition here: bit.ly/CURBSIDEPETITION

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

We’re excited to introduce Cleveland VOTES’ More Than My Art Creative Impact Fellow, BreJona Whitlock!

In this role, BreJona will support fellow artists through administrative operations, communications, project management, and artist showcase coordination. Her work will help artists connect, collaborate, and amplify their impact across the community.

We’re thrilled to have BreJona on board and can’t wait to see the impact she’ll make!

Please call your Ohio Senator and Ohio rep TODAY to help stop HB 472, which could make voting impossible for thousands of eligible Ohio voters.

Here's what's happening:
📃Until this week, HB 472 was a bipartisan bill focused on helping Ohioans experiencing homelessness obtain the documents they need to get an ID and participate in civic life. It was good!

😤 But now lawmakers are trying to replace it with a substitute bill that makes major changes to Ohio's vote-by-mail system.

🪢The new bill would require new photo ID for absentee voters, create a new online application system, and impose significant new responsibilities on county Boards of Elections.

Here's what's bad about the bill:
👵🏼 It will make voting by mail harder for a lot seniors, voters with disabilities, and other Ohioans who rely on absentee voting who can't easily get to the BMV

🗳️ It's an unfunded mandate for Boards of Elections, who are given huge new major new responsibilities to implement a brand new system with no clear funding plan

🧐 And this 121-page election bill was introduced with little time for the public—or even committee members—to review and understand it. It's being heard in House committee TODAY.

Election law is complicated. Changes this significant deserve careful review, public input, and thoughtful consideration before moving forward. Call your Ohio legislators—both your Ohio Senator AND your Ohio House member, to tell them to vote NO on HB 472 today. Find yours here: lwvohio.org/contact-your-legislator

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

Say hello to the newest member of the Cleveland VOTES team, Emma Gann, our summer intern! 🎉

Emma is a double major in history and political science with a concentration in international relations at College of Wooster. She is interested in international law and how local elections shape the lives of residents and communities.

We’re excited to have her on board this summer and can’t wait to see the energy, ideas, and impact she will bring to the team. Welcome, Emma!

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/

🚪🗳️ The Vote Squad is back!

Are you passionate about racial equity, civic power, and participatory democracy? Cleveland VOTES is hiring part-time seasonal canvassers to join the Vote Squad from July to November!

As a member of the Vote Squad, you’ll connect with Cleveland residents through registration efforts, direct outreach, door-to-door canvassing, and other civic engagement activities across neighborhoods.

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

Want to learn more? Join us for Vote Squad office hours!
📅 June 8 | 1–2 PM
📅 June 10 | 5–6 PM

Register for office hours: https://bit.ly/43gwQCR
Applications close June 19! Apply here: www.clevotes.com/jobs

If you followed our More Than My Art Creative Impact Network (CIN) last year, you may remember a creative project that looked a lot like a voting tabulation machine. That installation was created by Joe Silvestro as part of his "Ride for Democracy" project, using art as a tool to educate, spark curiosity, and inspire meaningful conversations about the voting process.

Now, you can learn more about Joe, his project, and the powerful connection between art and democracy (spoiler alert: they're more connected than you might think!). 🎥 Check out the full video on our YouTube channel: bit.ly/JOEMTMA