2026 Monarca Democracy Defense Toolkit

Our democracy is under attack. The stakes could not be higher - either we save our democracy, or we don't. Defending and strengthening our democracy under current conditions requires us to prepare now and take action before, during, and after elections.

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Election Timeline

Protect Our Vote: How to Take Action

Step 1: Schedule your meeting

Step 2: Build your leadership team

Step 3: Invite your community

Step 4: Prepare for the meeting

Democracy Defense Ladder

Host a Democracy Defense Training

Training Invitation Scripts

Resources

Door knocking resources:

Info leave-behinds: EnglishSpanish

Sample agenda (hosting your own event)

During the election season

  1. Voter engagement and poll defense.

After the election

  1. Defend the election results.

  2. Work together to deliver an agenda with material wins for Minnesota’s working families, and building a world with safety and dignity for all.

Before the election season

  1. Build out a strong Democracy Defense Network.

  2. Secure our right to vote.

view the voting toolkit

Protect Our Vote: How to Take Action

  • Bring at least 30 community members to a city council or county board meeting and ask local officials to publicly commit to protecting free and fair elections.

    Your group will:

    • Speak during public comment.

    • Ask election officials how they are preparing for possible interference.

    • Show support for election workers who follow the law.

    • Invite more people to help defend the election.

    Local officials manage voter records, polling places, ballot counting, and election results.

    Public meetings give residents a direct way to support them and hold them accountable. We’re showing up to hold our elected accountable: What are they doing to protect our right to vote and have it counted.

  • Our freedom to vote, and to have every eligible vote counted, is under threat.

    Federal officials have sought voter records, access to election equipment, and investigations into claims that courts and bipartisan reviews have already rejected. These actions can create confusion, intimidate election workers, and make it harder for eligible voters, especially Black, immigrant, and working-class communities, to participate.

    When we organize publicly, we make it clear that our communities are watching and will defend every voter.

  • Organize at least 30 people to attend a city council or county board meeting with public comment.

    During the meeting, community members will:

    1. Explain why protecting the election matters.

    2. Ask what local officials are doing to prevent interference.

    3. Ask officials to follow state election laws and protect eligible voters.

    For a larger city or county, set a higher turnout goal.

The Constitution gives states the authority to carry out their own elections, and elected officials do the actual work in cities and counties. Typically, elected officials are city or county clerks, registrars, or a board of elections. These are community members who are responsible for maintaining voter registration records, run poling places, oversee ballot counting, and help certify results. Because they hold this power, they are likely to be targets of interference, intimidation, harassments, baseless investiongations and even lawsuits. We want these elected officials to know that we support them and we will hold them accountable to protecting our right to vote and have it counted. Follow the guide below to lead your action:

Step 1: Schedule your meeting

To ensure our elected officials know this, we invite you to lead a community action at your local city council or commission meeting with public comment and ask them what they are doing to protect our rights to vote and have it counted.

First, check your county’s website or call the clerk office to confirm details for the next meeting with public comment. Schedule your action for a meeting by the middle of August.

Some information to consider:

  • Meeting date, time, and location

  • Public-comment rules

  • Speaker registration deadline

  • Speaking time limit

  • Accessibility and interpretation options

  • Whether signs are allowed

  • Whether the meeting is livestreamed (you can share a recap of the event with anyone who might have missed it or be intersted in participating in a future meeting)

Step 2: Build your leadership team

Remember, it takes a village to pull off a successful action. Don’t organize this action alone. Invite or proposition 2-3 leaders to co-lead the action with you and share responsibilities.

Actions to be distributed:

  • People turnout (each person should be responsible for bringing at least 10 people. Consider your overall turnout goals.)

  • Prepare speakers (who will testify? who will support them through the process?)

  • Handle signs and logistics (will you bring signs? who will reminder emails? who will answer questions at the event?)

  • Take pictures during the event to help amplify your action (who will take pictures? what social media platforms can you share a recap of your event?)

Step 3: Invite your community

Aim to bring at least 30 people to your action. If you live in a higher density city or county, consider bringing at least 70 people.

Make a list of people you can invite, including neighbors, friends, coworkers, and coalition partners (faith, labor, student, local groups, etc).

Personal invitations work better than a social media invites or a flyer. Personally reach out to each person on your list and share 2-3 reasons elections are important/why they matter to you, then ask them to join you.

Sample invitation you can make your own:

Hi [name].
I’m reaching out because our freedom to vote and have every vote counted is under threat. I am coordinating an action to bring community members to the next city council or county board meeting on [your meeeting date] to ask local officials how they will protect voters and stand against unlawful interference. We want to show that our community is paying attention. Can I count on you to attend?

If yes, send them the meeting date, time, location and any other arrival instructions necesssary.

If not, thank them and invite them to reach out if they want to be part of a future action.

Step 4: Prepare for the meeting

Choose several people to speak during public comment. Speakers should represent different parts of the community and each person should focus on one message. Public comments should be brief, personal, and respectful. Keep your message under 3 minutes long. You can customize the outline below to make it more personal:

Hi, my name is [your name] and I live in [your city or county]. No matter our race, income, neighborhood, or political party, every eligible voter should be able to vote and have their ballot counted. Our community is concerned about efforts to obtain voter information, interfere with local election systems, or pressure officials to ignore election laws. What is our city or county doing to protect voters, election workers, voter information, and the fair certification of results? We are asking you to commit to: Follow state election laws, protect voters and voter information, reject unlawful interference, count every lawful ballot, and certify the lawful election results

Download Action Toolkit

Democracy Defense Ladder

  • May - August

    Every zone leader will talk with people on their block or in their building or congregation about: 

    • The opportunity to tell a story with the Truth Council

    • Voter registration

    The option to participate in democracy defense

    Toolkit: 

    June - September

    Truth Council Story Actions: 

    • Get trained to collect stories

    Events: Learn more about actions at our Monthly Zoom events at monarcan.og/actions

  • August

    September

    Every zone leader will talk with people about early voting and scenario planning events

    July - November

    Electoral Engagement Action Options

    1. Get people out to vote

    2. Build relationships with county officials to ensure they will certify election results

    3. Prepare to support people at the polls with 

      • Rides

      • Legal observers

      • Election judges

    Events: Learn more about actions at our Monthly Zoom events at monarcamn.org/actions

  • September

    Every zone leader will invite people to participate in local scenario planning events.

    Ongoing

    Results Protection Action Options

    • Corporate Accountability: Demand corporations speak out in favor of free and fair elections

    Form: Business for Democracy Pledge

    Event: Corporate Campaign Action Planning on May 26

    June 2026 - January 2027

    Scenario event planning: At the June 27th Scenario planning training, we will dig into potential scenarios to learn and prepare for what may come. After the training, you can choose to learn to host a scenario planning training within your network: 

    • If they take our voter rolls

    • If they refuse to hold elections

    • If they refuse to certify the results

    Events: On June 27 attend a in-depth scenario planning event, with the option to prepare to lead one in your neighborhood or congregation

    Learn more about actions and other upcoming events at our Monthly Zoom events at monarcamn.org/actions

  • November 2026

    Every zone leaders will invite people to share what they want to change and participate in moving policy in November

    Check out the agenda here.

    January 2027

    Move Our Agenda Action Options

    Policy liaison: 

    • Make sure people in your network are talking to neighbors about what they want

    • Bring people together to pass policies that support safety and dignity for all, for example

      • Healthcare for all

      • Immigration reform

      • Affordable clean energy

    Events: Learn more about actions and other upcoming events at our Monthly Zoom events at monarcamn.org/actions

Host a Democracy Defense Training

  • Talk to people who can co-host training with you

    Tools:

    • Script: Invitation

    • Link: See if a training has been scheduled near your area here

    Request a Monarca Democracy Defense Training for May-July

    Tools:

    Speak with Monarca Democracy Defense team to confirm that a trainer is available for that date and location, and talk about reaching your invite goal

    Someone will reach out. For questions, contact info@monarcamn.org

    Make a list of people you know, make invites (goal 35+ in suburban or rural areas, 70+ in urban areas)

    Tools:

    Host training and make a plan to build your network, block by block

    Tools:

  • Form groups of 5-10 people in your neighborhood/congregation and define the area you will take responsibility for

    Tools:

    Choose people from your network to learn about actions within one of the four Democracy Defense Ladder areas of interest

    Tools:

    Fill out the Democracy Defense Pledge with your network name and boundaries, and commitments

    Network leaders - we will create a spreadsheet for your network, where we will add new people in your area who would like to connect

    Stay in contact with an Unidos organizer

  • Two weeks after your training, meet with your team and the potential new zone leaders you have invited

    Tools:

    Two weeks after 1st network meeting, host a second Monarca Democracy Defense Training (as needed) to complete your network

    Tools:

  • After your network is built, begin to engage neighbors on the Democracy Defense Ladder (find more information on each step below):

    • Truth Council Stories

    • Electoral Engagement

    • Election Results Protection

    • Move Our Agenda

Training Invitation Scripts