TREK THE VOTE
Trekkies Organizing for Fair and Equitable Elections
BRINGING FEDERATION VALUES TO 21ST CENTURY ELECTIONS
"The first duty of every Starfleet officer is to the truth. Whether it's scientific truth, or historical truth, or personal truth. It is the guiding principle upon which Starfleet is based." - Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Stardate 45703.9
Trekkies Organizing for Fair and Equitable Elections (TOFFEE) is a group of Star Trek fans who take that guiding principle seriously. We are committed to do everything in our power to ensure that the outcome of the November 3, 2020 election reflects the whole, unmanipulated truth about the future the American people want for ourselves.
That's why we're mobilizing Trekkies to defend the 2020 election. In the coming weeks we'll release a short video designed to enroll Trekkies in a "Starfleet mission" to save democracy and then direct them to a smart signup that right-fits them into volunteer opportunities with our election partners.
A CREATIVE APPROACH TO VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT
THE 2020 ELECTION PROMISES TO BE UNLIKE ANY AMERICA HAS EVER FACED.
The combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and intentional efforts to deter marginalized communities from voting may suppress turnout.
Thousands of volunteers and temporary workers are needed by election managers and non-partisan groups across the country to make voting as easy and safe as possible.
A WIDE VARIETY OF ROLES ARE AVAILABLE
Here are just some of the things our partners need volunteers and temporary workers to do:
Hand out food and water to voters waiting in long lines.
Identify and report voter intimidation.
Help voters who are having trouble to understand their rights.
Monitor online chatter and report disinformation.
Ensure polling places have proper PPE and signage and are wheelchair accessible.
Work inside of polling places handing out ballots and helping people who have questions about the process.
TREKKIES ARE IDEAL FOR THESE ROLES
There are 16 million Star Trek fans in the United States, and they have been steeped in the Federation’s values of fairness, inclusivity, and respect for democracy for decades. They tend to be scrupulous, diligent, and unafraid to care passionately about the future.
That makes them exactly the kind of people our partners need right now.
OUR ELECTION PARTNERS
In their own words
Elections can’t happen without poll workers. And most poll workers are older and at a higher risk of complications from Covid. Now is the time for young people across America to step up, serve our country, and make sure the 2020 election is a success.
The national, nonpartisan Election Protection coalition was formed to ensure that all voters have an equal opportunity to participate in the political process. Made up of more than 100 local, state, and national partners, Election Protection works year-round to advance and defend the right to vote.
The National Election Defense Coalition (NEDC) began our work in 2013. Our mission is to build a bipartisan movement to secure the nation’s vulnerable voting systems from manipulation and fraud, and to protect every American’s right to have their vote counted.
MORE COMING SOON!
We're in talks now with half a dozen more organizations doing everything from poll monitoring to legal support, as well as preparing to defend the legitimacy of the results post-election.
OUR TALENT
JOHN BILLINGSLEY
Dr. Phlox
Star Trek: Enterprise
KITTY SWINK
Luaran / Rozhan
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
ROBIN CURTIS
Lieutenant Saavik
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
WIL WHEATON
Ensign Wesley Crusher
Star Trek: The Next Generation
MORE STARS COMING SOON!
You never know who could be next.
ARMIN SHIMERMAN
Quark
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
CHASE MASTERSON
Leeta
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
GATES MCFADDEN
Dr. Beverly Crusher
Star Trek: The Next Generation
HANA HATAE
Molly O'Brien
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
J.G HERTZLER
General Martok
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
PROJECT STATUS
We have five confirmed cast members and a few more who have expressed serious interest. We have ongoing outreach to more than a dozen Trek cast members.
We have three confirmed and six more seriously interested election partners who are recruiting volunteers and / or paid poll workers.
We have a working software requirements document and are actively coding the necessary infrastructure to right-fit volunteers with our partners. This effort is being managed by two ex-Microsoft software engineers with specialties in front end development and data science.
Our goal is to launch the video and site on September 15, but we may have to push back depending on how long it takes us to recruit more cast members.
OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM
TAE PHOENIX
Tae is an activist, singer-songwriter, and sci-fi nerd who lives and organizes in Seattle, WA. She founded the project and is responsible for outreach and program development.
KHAYAH BROOKES
Khayah specializes in data and applied science. She's responsible for making sure our databases are matching Trekkies with the volunteer opportunities that will fit them best.
SANDI FOX
Sandi is founder and CEO of Smart as a Fox, a digital strategy and communications firm based in Washington, DC. She is advising on digital communications strategy and partner outreach.
ETHAN TROOSKIN-ZOLLER
Ethan is a lifelong geek and troublemaker who wrote code a long time ago. He traded that for a career of waving his arms around but eventually found his way back.