Know Your Rights

Explore several resources from CSLDF on how to engage effectively and safely:

Activism & Advocacy Toolkit(opens in new tab)

• CSLDF explains the legal boundaries of advocacy for scientists.

Pocket Guide to Safeguarding Online Communications(opens in new tab)

• CSLDF’s guide helps scientists navigate digital communications under U.S. law.

Trusting Your Elections

American elections are facing unprecedented pressures, from efforts to sow doubt about the trustworthiness of election systems to tactics that could disrupt their operation and outcomes. As we approach November, staying informed is one of the most powerful things any of us can do.

What you can do:

• Become a poll worker.(opens in new tab) Power to The Polls makes it easy to sign up to support your community. Our elections depend on ordinary people who make sure voting runs smoothly and everyone's vote is counted—people like you. You can make sure we have safe, fair, efficient elections for all: step up and become a poll worker for the next election in your community today.
• Learn more about elections safety from our webinar Trusting Your Elections(opens in new tab) with Protect Democracy.
  (Passcode: 7tPZKF9^)
• Check out the Voting Rights Lab Election Risk Heat Map(opens in new tab).

Engage with Candidates

ADDSTEAM's Science In Democracy (opens in new tab) offers opportunities for scientists to engage with candidates.

Watch our webinar recording with Science in Democracy to learn more: Science in Democracy: How to Engage Candidates with Science and Evidence(opens in new tab) ( Passcode: +J@2^gLl) with ADDSTEAM. 

Have you engaged with a candidate? Tell us about it!(opens in new tab)S(opens in new tab)

Stand on Science

Stance on Science is a grassroots, scientist-led project that will help bring science policy into the public conversation during the 2026 midterms. It is a nationwide initiative to clarify political candidates’ positions on science policy issues. The candidates’ answers will be organized and publicized so non-scientific voters can better understand the candidates’ positions on these issues. This initiative is organized by the Scientist Network for Advancing Policy (SNAP), which will serve as a non-partisan source when communicating the information between candidates and voters. If you’re interested in joining this initiative, please fill out this form, and help us take a SNAPshot of your candidates’ Stance on Science!

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Science Questions for Candidates

You'll have the opportunity to develop clear, thoughtful, nonpartisan science questions for candidates running for office. These questions are designed to elevate the role of science and evidence in elections by encouraging candidates to address how they would approach major public issues such as health, climate, energy, and emerging technologies. Participants help identify the questions voters should be asking and make science more visible in public leadership conversations.

Science Informed Policy Statements

You'll have the opportunity to develop concise, nonpartisan policy materials grounded in science and evidence. These policy one-pagers are designed to help candidates communicate informed positions on major public issues and can be used in speeches, debates, interviews, and policy development.

Visit the Science In Democracy(opens in new tab) webpage to sign up for more information.

Election efforts on your campus

Scholars Strategy Network(opens in new tab) is working to help scholars engage with students and the campus community in election efforts.

Watch our webinar to learn more: Academics and the Ballot: Advancing Voter Engagement in Upcoming Elections(opens in new tab) with Scholars Strategy Network. (passcode 114*CG37)

Ways to engage throughout the election cycle

• Safely Exercising Your Free Speech and First Amendment Rights During Election Season with Climate Science Legal Defense Fund
  • Watch the recording.(opens in new tab) Passcode: 6F!gsQf7
  • CSLDF will provide a primer on how to utilize your First Amendment rights safely in anticipation of midterm elections. We will discuss how federal employees and those working with federal funds can responsibly engage in advocacy and activism, how federal employees can engage in advocacy efforts, and how to responsibly engage in advocacy and activism in a current political climate where many bedrock rights are being threatened.
• Watch our webinar recording with Science in Democracy to learn more: Science in Democracy: How to Engage Candidates with Science and Evidence(opens in new tab) ( Passcode: +J@2^gLl) with ADDSTEAM. 
  • Tuesday, July 14 12pm-1pm
  • How can science play a stronger role in elections and legislative decision-making? Join us for an introduction to Science in Democracy, a national effort to make science and evidence central to the policymaking that shapes our lives. Learn how you can help craft science questions for candidates or develop science-informed policy statements (fact sheets) that strengthen public officials' understanding, improve communication, and support better democratic discourse on health, climate, energy, and emerging technologies.
• Academics and the Ballot: Advancing Voter Engagement in Upcoming Elections(opens in new tab) with Scholars Strategy Network. (passcode 114*CG37)
  • Encouraging student voting is an obligation of colleges and universities enshrined in the Higher Education Act since 1965. The webinar will explore how scholars can help foster participation in the democratic process in both their local communities and on their campuses during the upcoming elections. Scholars who have shared their expertise with campaigns or led student voting engagement initiatives will share their experiences and actionable takeaways. In addition, the Scholars Strategy Network will share practical resources for doing this work both in the classroom and in your broader community.
• Trusting Your Elections(opens in new tab) with Protect Democracy.
  (Passcode: 7tPZKF9^)
  • American elections are facing unprecedented pressures, from efforts to sow doubt about the trustworthiness of election systems to tactics that could disrupt their operation and outcomes. As we approach November, staying informed is one of the most powerful things any of us can do. Protect Democracy is a cross-ideological nonprofit group dedicated to defeating the authoritarian threat, defending dissent, protecting our elections, and building a thriving, multiparty democracy. Join us for a webinar examining the challenges facing our elections today, the work already underway across the country to strengthen and safeguard the electoral process, and the concrete steps you can take to be part of that effort.