Atlanta, GA – On Tuesday, more than 120 million Americans cast ballots, one of the highest midterm turnout rates in more than a century. The Chamberlain Network thanks the election officials, poll workers and volunteers who made it possible.
"Tuesday was democracy doing exactly what it was built to do," said Chris Purdy, founder and CEO of The Chamberlain Network. "More than one hundred million Americans cast their ballots, and trusted their neighbors to count them. There is real power, and real beauty, in seeing democracy in action at that kind of scale."
The trust that makes this possible rests on the people who run our elections. In Pennsylvania alone, about 45,000 poll workers staffed more than 9,000 polling places. When scanners failed in one New York county, paper ballots were sealed and secured, and are being counted with party representatives watching.
Outside the polls, Project HALO turned Election Day into a celebration. Veterans, faith leaders and neighbors set up celebration stations outside more than 50 polling places in Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania, with flags, music, snacks and a friendly welcome for every voter. The Chamberlain Network runs Project HALO with more than 25 faith, civic and community partners.
In metro Atlanta, CBS News found HALO volunteers with DJs and family activities at polling places from Lithonia to Mableton. One volunteer used a measuring wheel to make sure the celebration stayed outside the 150-foot zone around the polls. Project HALO began this spring in three states during the primaries. On Tuesday, it was in five.
"Veterans took an oath to support and defend the Constitution," Purdy said. "On Tuesday, our HALO volunteers kept that promise the way good neighbors do: with a flag, a song and a warm welcome. They celebrated voting itself, not any candidate or party."
In many places the count continues, and states will certify their results in the weeks ahead. In January, a new Congress will be seated, and the American tradition of the peaceful transfer of power, and government accountable to the people, will continue.
The Chamberlain Network thanks every election official, poll worker and volunteer who served in this election. Free and fair elections do not run themselves. They run on people like them, in every county, every time we vote.
Learn more about Project HALO, and how to take part in future elections, at halovote.org.
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At the Chamberlain Network, our mission is to mobilize and empower veterans to protect democracy through organizing, education, and community engagement, ensuring the principles of freedom, social justice, and human rights thrive in a representative democracy. Named after Civil War hero Joshua Chamberlain, the Chamberlain Network seeks to honor his legacy of civic engagement and lifelong commitment to defending democracy that spans long beyond his military service. We build state and local networks of veterans dedicated to promoting democratic values, countering rising authoritarianism, and combating polarization.