DEFEND THE YOUTH VOTE AND PROTECT OUR ELECTIONS IN FLORIDA, NEW YORK, TEXAS, AND ARIZONA.

This year, we are scaling up our GenVote Defenders program to make sure our friends, families, neighbors, and communities can vote with dignity, free from fear and intimidation, and that the will of the people prevails.

GenVote Defenders is a first-of-its-kind nonpartisan, youth-led cohort program that mobilizes high school and college students to serve as election protection captains, build distributed volunteer teams, recruit Gen Z poll monitors, and defend against voter intimidation. Defenders will recruit their own volunteer teams to plug into nonpartisan poll monitoring and mobilize those teams for post-election activities including ballot curing and canvass board and election certification monitoring.

GenVote Defenders will receive a $750 stipend and join a cohort-style leadership development program with access to GenVote’s unique electoral justice trainings, election protection resources, special briefings with election defense experts, and coaching.

Program dates and application deadline

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until all positions are filled. The updated application deadline is September 14, 2026.  APPLY TODAY 

The ideal Defender

• Must be a high school or college student, or young person aged 16–34.
• Must reside in New York, Texas, Arizona, or Florida.
• Must attend weekly Defender cohort calls.
• Be available for 3–5 hours a week of in-person and digital recruitment in September and October.
• Be available for in-person election protection field shifts in late October and November.
• Be available for in-person or digital post-election ballot curing and certification / canvass board monitoring, and, as needed, prepare to mobilize to ensure that every vote is counted and the will of the people prevails.

We strongly encourage people of color, immigrants, women, transgender and non-binary people, and people with disabilities to apply.

Please email Brendan Cushing at bcushing@genvote.org if you have any questions.