Examples of voter intimidation

• Aggressively questioning voters about their citizenship, criminal record, or other qualifications to vote.
• Falsely representing oneself as an elections official.
• Displaying false or misleading signs about voter fraud and related criminal penalties.
• Other forms of harassment, particularly harassment targeting non-English speakers and voters of color.
• Spreading false information about voter requirements.
• You do not need to speak English to vote, in any state.
• You do not need to pass a test to vote, in any state.
• Some states do not require voters to present photo identification.

YOUR RIGHTS

It’s illegal to intimidate voters and a federal crime to “intimidate, threaten, [or] coerce … any other person for the purpose of interfering with the right of [that] other person to vote or to vote as he may choose.”
What to do if you experience voter intimidation
In many states, you can give a sworn statement to the poll worker that you satisfy the qualifications to vote in your state, and then proceed to cast a ballot.

Report intimidation to the Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE, and your local election officials. 

The answer to this question may be different depending on where you live. You can look up your state’s laws here.

If you are voting for the first time, this checklist is for you! 

You can look up your polling place here, or contact your local board of elections.

The quickest way to find out is to click this link. Once opened you will be asked to select your state from the drop down box. Once you are on your state’s website, you will be asked to type in your first name, last name and the county you live in. If you are registered to vote, your name will appear.

There could be a few reasons why your name does not appear. If you changed your last name, you will need to complete a new voter registration. If you have moved you will need to re-register with your new address. If you have not voted over the past few years, your name may have been removed. If your information remains the same and you have voted in prior elections, but your name is not there, you will need to contact your local board of elections.

Voters are entitled to a provisional ballot, even if they aren’t in the poll book. After Election Day, election officials must investigate whether you are qualified to vote and registered. If you are qualified and registered, they will count your provisional ballot.

What to do:

Ask the poll worker to double check for your name on the list of registered voters. Make sure to spell your name out for the poll worker.

If your name is not on the list, ask if there is a supplemental list of voters.

If the poll worker still cannot find your name, confirm that you are at the correct polling place:

Request that the poll workers check a statewide system (if one is available) to see if you are registered to vote at a different polling place.

If the poll worker does not have access to a statewide system, ask them to call the main election office.

You can also call 1-866-OUR-VOTE and ask for help verifying your proper polling place.

If you are registered at a different location, in most instances you will have to travel to that location to cast a regular ballot.

If the poll worker still cannot find your name or if you cannot travel to the correct polling place, ask for a provisional ballot.

Additional information:

If you are turned away or denied a provisional ballot, call the Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE or 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (en Español).

Report your experience to local election officials.

A past conviction does not necessarily mean you can’t vote. In many places you can. Check the laws for your state. And, if you are in a place where you are not allowed to vote, you can join the fight to change that. Learn more at the ACLU website.

The postage required to mail a ballot varies by location. Contact your local Board of Elections if you are unsure.

It is illegal to vote twice. If you decide you want to vote in person after you already mailed your ballot, you can let the Clerk at the Board of Elections know and ask them to cancel that one out and accept your in person vote.

You can look it up here.

There are many ways that you can volunteer. Phone bankers are needed as well as people who are willing to simply hit a SEND button to send a text to remind people to use their VOICE, by Casting their VOTE.