Chefs For The Polls And Pizza To The Polls Feed Hungry Would-Be Voters

In many parts of the country, the 2020 general election has already begun. Ballots have been mailed. Early voting sites have opened. Everybody is getting super-nervous, there have been at least two substantial reported articles about how the whole thing can get fucked up, and both Democrat and Republican leaders have urged voters to go to the polls in person if they can.

Voting in person often means waiting in a very long line, and now with COVID-19 restrictions, that often means the line will be outside. Bring a friend. Bring a book (preferably something as escapist as possible). Wear comfortable shoes. Make sure your phone is fully charged. And bring snacks!

A few groups are already working to make sure that hungry voters won't go hungry. Chefs For The Polls, a project organized by World Central Kitchen, will work with local restaurants and food trucks to provide meals for voters waiting in line. It's a nonpartisan project, feeding supporters of all parties, no questions asked. The website notes that the food is not incentive to vote; instead it's a way to help people who might have skipped meals in order to go to the polls and get to work on time. The group targets polling locations with especially long lines.

Pizza To The Polls is another organization with a similar mission, except that it raises money to send pizzas to people waiting in line. During the primaries and the first days of early voting, it delivered more than 2,100 pizzas, and it has $41,470 in its coffers to sustain Americans for the rest of elections season.

Both projects are, of course, always taking donations and looking for volunteers. Information is available on their websites. And if you know of any other similar projects happening around the 2020 election, as always, please let us know in the comments.