How to Push Your City Council to Act¶

You understand the threat. You know the law. Now here is how to get your city to do something about it — step by step.

Step 1: Find Out Where Your State Stands¶

Not every state is equally positioned for this. The site classifies all 50 states into three tiers:

Tier	What it means	Your path
Green — Strong Viability (16 states)	Strong home rule authority, no anti-sanctuary preemption, favorable legal environment	Clearest path to ordinance adoption. Move to Step 2.
Yellow — Proceed with Caution (11 states)	Viable pathway but with legal or political obstacles	Ordinance is possible but needs careful legal framing. Read your state guide fully before proceeding.
Red — Significant Barriers (23 states)	Anti-sanctuary laws with penalties for local officials	Ordinance adoption carries risk. See the Red-State Guidance section below.

Find your state in the 50-State Analysis

Or go directly to your state guide

Step 2: Identify Your Target¶

Does your city have home rule authority?¶

"Home rule" means your city has broad power to pass its own laws without needing permission from the state legislature. Most large and mid-size cities in Green-tier states have home rule.

To find out: Go to your state guide and read Section 1 — the "Legal Battlefield Analysis." It will tell you whether your city operates under home rule or under "Dillon's Rule" (which limits cities to only the powers explicitly granted by the state).

Which cities are best positioned?¶

Each state guide (Section 3) includes a target city analysis ranking cities by:

Council composition and political dynamics
Existing sanctuary or non-cooperation policies
Legal infrastructure (is there a city attorney who can draft the ordinance?)
Community organizing capacity

You do not need to be in a "target city" to act. The rankings identify where adoption is most likely, but any city with home rule authority can consider this ordinance.

Step 3: Find Your Allies¶

Do not start from scratch. Organizations in your state are already working on election protection.

Each state guide Section 4 contains a coalition directory with:

Organization names
Phone numbers and email addresses
Physical addresses
Assessment of each organization's election protection experience

Types of partners to look for:

ACLU affiliate in your state
League of Women Voters local chapter
NAACP local branch
Local bar association election law committee
Immigration advocacy organizations (they understand the ICE threat firsthand)
Labor unions (many have election protection programs)
Faith-based organizations (churches, mosques, synagogues with civic engagement programs)

Connect with existing organizations

The most effective approach is to work with organizations that already have relationships with your city council. They know which council members are sympathetic, how the committee process works, and how to get on the agenda.

Step 4: Contact Your City Council Members¶

Find your council member¶

Check your city's official website — most have a "Find Your Council Member" tool based on your address
Your city clerk's office can tell you who represents your district
Many cities list council members, their committees, and their contact information online

Write to them¶

Here is a template you can adapt. The framing is based on the Recommended Framing Hierarchy from the model ordinance — it leads with resource allocation (the strongest legal argument) and works down:

Template: Letter to Your Council Member

Dear Council Member [Name],

I am writing as a constituent in [district/ward] to ask you to consider introducing a Polling Place Protection Ordinance before the November 2026 elections.

The issue: Federal law (18 U.S.C. § 592, signed by President Lincoln in 1865) makes it a felony to station armed federal personnel at polling places. Senior administration officials have publicly discussed deploying ICE agents to polls, and the White House has refused to guarantee it will not happen. In January 2026, a deployment of 3,000+ federal agents to Minneapolis-St. Paul disrupted a state election and created a climate of fear that suppressed voter participation.

What I'm asking for: A city ordinance that directs our municipal resources — police, vehicles, databases, facilities — away from supporting armed federal personnel at or near polling places during elections. This is a decision about how our city spends its own resources, consistent with the anti-commandeering doctrine upheld by the Supreme Court in Printz v. United States and Murphy v. NCAA.

This is not an anti-law-enforcement measure. The ordinance implements existing federal law — the same felony prohibition that the Department of Justice's own manual recognizes. It includes common-sense exceptions for genuine emergencies and explicitly prohibits obstructing federal agents.

A model ordinance template with 14 operative sections is available and has been reviewed for legal defensibility across multiple state frameworks. I would be happy to share it with your office or connect you with attorneys who can discuss the legal foundation.

Thank you for your service to our community. I believe protecting the integrity of our elections is something every council member can support regardless of party.

Sincerely, [Your name] [Your address]

Show up at a council meeting¶

Most city councils hold regular public meetings with a public comment period. Here is how to use it effectively:

Before the meeting:

Sign up for public comment (many cities require advance registration — check your city's website or call the clerk)
You typically get 2–3 minutes. Prepare and time yourself.

What to say in 2 minutes:

Template: Public Comment Talking Points

Introduce yourself (15 seconds): "My name is [name], I live in [neighborhood/ward], and I'm here to ask the council to pass a Polling Place Protection Ordinance."
State the problem (30 seconds): "Federal law has prohibited armed federal agents at polling places since 1865. The current administration has publicly discussed deploying ICE agents to polls and has refused to rule it out. In Minnesota, a federal deployment disrupted a state election and scared voters away from participating."
State the ask (30 seconds): "I'm asking the council to pass an ordinance that directs city resources away from supporting armed federal personnel at polling places during elections. This is a local resource allocation decision protected by the Supreme Court's anti-commandeering doctrine."
Address the concern (30 seconds): "This is not about obstructing law enforcement. The model ordinance explicitly protects emergency response and includes exceptions for court orders. It simply says our city will not help anyone commit what federal law itself calls a felony."
Close (15 seconds): "Sixty-four percent of voters believe this deployment will happen — including 45% of Republicans. Our city should act now, while there is time. Thank you."

Step 5: Build Local Support¶

Gather signatures¶

A petition showing community support helps council members feel confident acting. Keep it simple:

"We, the undersigned residents of [City], urge the City Council to adopt a Polling Place Protection Ordinance ensuring that municipal resources are not used to support armed federal personnel at or near polling places during elections."

Organize a community meeting¶

Partner with a local organization to host an informational session. Consider inviting:

A local attorney to explain the legal framework
A representative from an election protection organization
A current or former election official to explain how polling places work

Work with local media¶

Write a letter to the editor of your local paper
Reach out to local journalists covering city government
Frame the issue in terms of election integrity and voter protection, not immigration politics

Messaging guidance

The Model Ordinance — What You Are Asking For¶

When you approach your city council, you are asking them to consider a specific, legally vetted ordinance. Here is a non-technical summary of what it does:

Section	What it does
Findings	Cites the federal laws being implemented and the constitutional basis
Definitions	Defines "armed federal personnel," "election period," "protected zone" (500–1,000 feet around polling places)
Resource restrictions	City will not provide police, vehicles, databases, or facilities to support armed federal agents near polls
Chain of command	Poll workers and local election officials remain in charge at polling places
Voter data protection	Sensitive voter information stays with the city unless a court orders otherwise
Equipment security	Voting machines and ballots stay in local custody
Transparency	All federal requests are logged in a public registry
Exceptions	Life-threatening emergencies, court orders, unrelated federal business
Non-obstruction clause	City will not physically block agents, give false information, or hide anyone

Full model ordinance

Your city attorney will want to review and adapt the language for your specific state's legal framework. The model template includes adaptation notes for all three tiers of states.

Red-State Guidance¶

Important: Read this if you are in a Tier 3 (Red) state

In states with anti-sanctuary laws (Tennessee, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, and others), local officials who pass certain types of non-cooperation ordinances face severe penalties:

Tennessee (SB 6002, 2025): Felony charges, 1–6 years imprisonment for officials
Texas (SB 4): Daily fines up to $25,500
Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa: Mandatory funding cuts and other penalties

Do not inadvertently put local officials at legal risk. Consult with independent legal counsel before any public advocacy in these states.

Alternative actions in Red-tier states:

Voter education campaigns — Distribute information about voters' rights without requiring any government action
Poll monitoring — Coordinate with election protection organizations to have trained observers at polling places
State-level advocacy — Connect with state-level organizations working on election protection legislation
Legal preparedness — Work with attorneys to have pre-drafted emergency motions ready if ICE agents appear at polls
Documentation — Organize community documentation efforts so that any intimidation is recorded for potential legal action

Success Stories and Models¶

The campaign for polling place protection ordinances is ongoing. As cities adopt ordinances, this section will be updated with their experiences.

States with the most developed implementation pathways:

Minnesota — The Minnesota guide details specific implementation pathways, drawing on the state's real-world experience with the January 2026 deployment
Wisconsin — The Wisconsin guide identifies a "police operational directives" pathway that navigates the state's anti-sanctuary law

Share your experience

If your city has considered, introduced, or adopted a polling place protection ordinance, your experience can help other communities. Contact the organizations in your state guide's coalition directory to share what worked and what didn't.