The Crisis Comes Once a Year

Elections arrive on a schedule, which often determines when a crisis will arise. The author has worked to protect voters and their voting rights across decades and jurisdictions and shares examples, principles and best practices. The central story is about activities around a Virginia presidential primary election in which the conduct and decisions of certain election officials in one county led to hundreds of voters casting ballots on scrap paper that were not counted and an even larger number of voters who were unable to vote due to mismanagement of the polls, mainly in areas with larger minority populations than other precincts. This chapter explores specific lessons for crisis lawyering on Election Day, including preparation and anticipation, organization and planning, leadership, judgment, passion, and practicality.