Become a Nonpartisan Election Challenger
Would you like to help protect our vote?
In partnership with the Promote the Vote Fund, Up North Advocacy is recruiting nonpartisan poll challengers for the August and November 2026 elections. Volunteers will be trained to help protect voters’ rights and support elections that are fair, democratic, transparent, and accessible to all eligible voters.
As a Nonpartisan Poll Challenger, you will
- observe election procedures
- monitor polling place operations, and
- help identify issues that could interfere with voters’ ability to cast a ballot.
Challengers play an important role in promoting transparency and public confidence in the electoral process while helping ensure that every eligible voter has the opportunity to participate. They are pro-voter and never challenger voters.
QUALIFICATIONS
No prior experience is required. You must:
- Be registered to vote in Michigan; Check your registration status here.
- Complete PTVF’s training to receive a credential.
- Remain nonpartisan and pro-voter while serving as a challenger.
REQUIRED TRAINING
Training will be online. You watch videos at a time convenient for you and then take a quiz. They will cover
- Basic election law;
- What it means to be a challenger;
- Issues to look for;
- And how to report concerns and ask question.
QUESTIONS Email jenn@UpNorthAdvocacy.org
Join us July 20 to practice and Q&A
From 5:00-6:30pm, July 20, 2026 Promote the Vote Fund attorneys will lead us in role plays to practice how and when poll challengers can raise an official objection.
Once you have completed the training and received a credential, you are eligible for the role-play training!
We are looking to cover shifts for the 9 days of early, in-person voting and on Election Day. In 2026, those days are:
| Early Voting | Election Day | |
| August Primary | Jul 25 – Aug 2 | Aug 4 |
| November General | Oct 24 – Nov 1 | Nov 3 |
Checklists and cheat sheets will be provided for when you go to the polling locations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do we need nonpartisan poll challengers?
Nonpartisan poll challengers play a crucial role in protecting voters from being disenfranchised at their polling place by…
- Being the voter’s advocate. A nonpartisan poll challenger’s only priority is protecting the rights of the individual voter – not the party or candidates on the ballot.
- Monitoring the election process at polling locations, satellite offices, and absent voter counting boards.
- Raising an official objection, called a “challenge,” if the challenger does not believe that the poll worker is following Michigan’s election law.
What’s the difference between a Poll Challenger and a Poll Watcher?
Poll Challenger: someone who observes the election process and can flag issues to poll workers (including by making challenges); challengers are credentialed and must be registered to vote in Michigan
Poll Watcher: someone who observes the election process but cannot talk to poll workers or make challenges; poll watchers are not credentialed and need not to be registered to vote in Michigan
What are the requirements to become a Poll Challenger?
- Must be a registered voter in the State of Michigan
- May not be a candidate for any elective office in the election
- May serve in any precinct or absent voter counting board in the state
- Must carry a credential issued by the appointing group or organization
What are the expectations for volunteer Poll Challengers?
- Committed to nonpartisan volunteerism while serving as a poll challenger.
- Interested in learning about voting rights and how to protect voters from being disenfranchised.
- Complete training and assessment before Election Day (appx. 2 hours of time)
- Available on Election Day or during the 9-day Early Voting period – Shifts will be for six hours. You can request opening or closing shifts. Shifts will be assigned based on availability, on a first come, first served basis.