Election Day is over. The work continues.

“They’re pros — this is their Olympics. And they’ve been training for this for months.” That’s how Public Rights Project founder and CEO Jill Habig described the readiness of election officials when being interviewed by CNN on Election Day. 

This preparation paid off. And it demonstrated that when people who believe in democracy hold their ground and work together, intimidation and threats lose much of their power.

As pundits have put it: “A sustained campaign of lawsuits and preparations by election officials and voting rights organizations had put the administration on the defensive even before polls opened.” For instance, in one of our cases, a U.S. district judge sided with local governments that challenged the Department of Homeland Security’s attempted use of about $1 billion in public safety funding as leverage over state and local election policy.

Despite the federal government’s actions in the lead-up to Election Day, voting proceeded mostly without incident. As always, there were minor problems, which local election officials handled with characteristic expertise. (Our Election Protection Hub heard from a polling location in Minnesota that one incident involved shooing away a turkey blocking the entrance — talk about “fowl play”!)

As Pima County Attorney Laura Conover shared, her office, like many others across the country, faced the unprecedented challenge of pursuing litigation against a federal government intent on interfering with the election process, alongside ensuring “free, fair, and safe midterms.” Our team was on the ground to fill gaps as they emerged, including advising on same-day voter registration questions and helping one jurisdiction coordinate with the U.S. Postal Service on returning absentee ballots.

“I can’t thank Project Rights Project enough. … These national partnerships are so important. Once again, it’s been such a treasure to work with them.” — Pima County Attorney Laura Conover

We’re now moving into the final phase of the election process. Canvassing, audits, and certification will matter just as much as Election Day itself. We are monitoring for any attempted interference, whether through seizures meant to halt ballot counting or legal challenges to certification. If that happens, we’ll be ready to help election officials respond.