Important (not necessarily Good) News: What happens if Trump loses next week’s election, but refuses to concede? What happens if he deploys National Guard troops to stop the vote count? Given that Trump has refused to commit to accepting the election results, and has straight up threatened to interfere, these scenarios are very real possibilities. Casey Hogle, national development director of Indivisible, explains how to become part of Protect the Results, a mass mobilization of activists (that’s us!) who will take to the streets and demand a legitimate outcome to the election.

Q: What is Protect the Results?

A: A disaster planning initiative, to prepare for a mass mobilization across the country if Trump creates a constitutional crisis by not respecting the legitimacy of the election. We hope millions of us will take to the streets. Indivisible and Stand Up America have formed a coalition of over 110 groups to create and implement the mobilization plan. It’s a bipartisan effort that includes progressive groups like MoveOn and Color of Change, and conservative  groups like Republicans for the Rule of Law and Mormon Women for Ethical Government.

Q: How did you land on mass mobilization and taking to the streets as the action you’re calling on everyone to take?

A: This past summer, the Transition Integrity Project, a bipartisan group of former military and government leaders, campaign experts and academics came together to take part in a series of election crisis scenario exercises. Their final report concludes there is a high probability that President Trump will contest the election, and that mobilizing people in the streets could be a decisive factor in determining what the public views as a legitimate outcome to the election. Taking to the streets is an effective way to shape the narrative of the true election results.

Q: What actions could Trump take that would cause Protect the Results to initiate mass mobilization?

A: There are hundreds of scenarios. He could declare victory before all votes are counted. He could claim the election was stolen. He could try to force states to stop counting ballots. No matter what scenario plays out, if Trump creates a crisis, we can say “Go!” to the 110+ member Protect the Results coalition in the morning, and have people flooding the streets that afternoon, to demand a peaceful transition of power.

Q: Do you have a date set for the first mobilization if it’s needed?

A: We’ll be ready the day after the election, on November 4. There are already 400+ local events organized, in cities and towns across the country, with dozens more being added every day. There will not be a typical “election night” this year because of all the vote-by-mail ballots, which can delay the result for days or weeks. This will give Trump ample time to cast doubt on the integrity of the voting process.

Taking to the streets the day after the election will give us the opportunity to control the narrative. We are planning for a chaotic transition, and in order to have a legitimate outcome, we need massive, nationwide mobilizations of people calling for it. There is the possibility that we’ll need sustained action over multiple days or possibly weeks.

Q: How does someone get notified that it’s time to take to the streets?

A: Go to the Protect the Results website, find an event near you, and RSVP. This way you will get an email or text to let you know if a redline has been crossed and if the action is happening on the 4th.

Q: What if there is not an event planned near where I live?

A: You can sign up to create an event as a host. We’ll provide you with a toolkit that includes information on recruitment, COVID precautions, and safety plans, and we now have a 3-part training series on how to have an effective event, including guidance on de-escalation. We will provide you with a lot of support.

Q: Any final thoughts, now that we are less than a week away from Election Day?

A: At this point we need folks to focus on the election. The best preventative action to all of this is to blow them out of the water and win in a landslide. Be sure everyone you know has voted or has a voting plan – ideally voting early. At the same time, we need to be prepared. Thankfully, our team at Indivisible has been able to do both.