THE ACLU is, to quote Mother Jones, fighting like hell to make sure the election on TUESDAY, 3 NOVEMBER 2020, is free and fair and that every qualified voter no matter what their politics are is able to vote and that all votes will be counted. EVERYONE should have this phone number ( non-partisan Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE / 1-866-687-8683 ) in their phone and should call the ACLU if they have any problems getting an absentee ballot or when they go to vote early or on Tuesday, 3 November 2020. EVERYONE should download this link in their smart phone ( https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/voting-rights/ ) for information on these issues: 1)I need to register to vote, 2)I need to find my polling place, 3)I am not sure what to bring to the polls, 4)I want to vote before election day, 5)What are my general rights on election day?, 6)The poll worker says my name is not on the list of registered voters, 7)I am a voter with a disability, 8)I speak English less than "very well", 9)Someone is interfering with my right to vote.
LET. PEOPLE. VOTE.
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We are in a fight to save our democracy.
With the Democratic National Convention coming to a close and the Republican National Convention soon to follow, we're just 74 days from the election. A number of states still have yet to guarantee voting by mail to all eligible voters during the pandemic, and concerns around the USPS remain.
It's clear our calls to "Let People Vote" are as urgent as ever – and all of us will need to act quickly to ensure our ballots are cast and counted. That's why we've put together a resource to help you prepare at aclu.org/voter.
As you get ready to vote, the ACLU's advocacy and legal teams will not stop fighting to preserve this most fundamental right. Here's a rundown of our latest voting efforts:
Craig, requiring people to risk COVID-19 infection in order to vote is voter suppression, plain and simple. And when we know this pandemic disproportionately impacts people of color, people with disabilities, and low-income communities the most – it's also blatantly discriminatory.
Our democracy works best when all voters can cast our ballots. And this moment is a firm reminder that achieving equal voting rights is still imperative. That's why the ACLU continues to fight – especially in this most consequential election.
Thanks for taking action,
Sophia Lin Lakin
ACLU Attorney, fighting for voting rights |
Vote By Mail Explained
How do we vote safely during a pandemic?
We need to expand vote by mail and early voting, get rid of hurdles to voting, keep in-person voting for those who need it, and provide adequate funding for states to implement vote by mail.
Learn more at www.aclu.org/voter/
Learn more about how to exercise your voting rights, resist voter intimidation efforts, and access disability-related accommodations and language assistance at the polls. For help at the polls, call the non-partisan Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE.
I need to register to vote
States have different voter registration deadlines and requirements, so make sure you are registered well in advance of Election Day. Voter registration deadlines vary and some states allow individuals to register for the first time and cast ballots on Election Day.
What to do
- Check your registration status at Can I Vote.
- If you are not registered to vote, go to vote.gov to find your options. This link will provide information about your registration options, which may include online registration.
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I need to find my polling place
Every state offers options to vote in-person on Election Day, even those that primarily conduct elections by mail.
What to do
- Find your polling place or vote center and its hours of operation.
- Make a plan for Election Day: When and where will you cast your vote, and how will you get there?
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I’m not sure what to bring to the polls
Your state may require you to bring an ID or bring documents to show your residence, especially if you’re voting for the first time. Make sure you’re prepared.
What to do
- Learn what materials you’ll need to bring with you to the polling place on Election Day.
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I want to vote before Election Day
Your rights
- If you cannot vote in-person on Election Day, you may be able to vote early or by absentee vote-by-mail ballot.
- Some states allow any voter to vote absentee; others have stricter requirements.
What to do
- Learn about your options to exercise absentee or early voting in your state.
- Keep in mind that the deadline to request an absentee ballot may be before Election Day.
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What are my general rights on Election Day?
Your rights
- If the polls close while you’re still in line, stay in line – you have the right to vote.
- If you make a mistake on your ballot, ask for a new one.
- If the machines are down at your polling place, ask for a paper ballot.
- If you run into any problems or have questions on Election Day, call the Election Protection Hotline:
- English: 1-866-OUR-VOTE / 1-866-687-8683
- Spanish: 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA / 1-888-839-8682
- Arabic: 1-844-YALLA-US / 1-844-925-5287
- For Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Urdu, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, or Vietnamese: 1-888-274-8683
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The poll worker says my name is not on the list of registered voters
Your rights
- 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.
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I am a voter with a disability
Your rights
- Under federal law, all polling places for federal elections must be fully accessible to older adults and voters with disabilities. Simply allowing curbside voting is not enough to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility requirements.
- In federal elections, every polling place must have at least one voting system that allows voters with disabilities to vote privately and independently. Usually, this is a machine that can read the ballot to you (for people with vision disabilities or dyslexia), and let you vote by pushing buttons (for people with mobility disabilities).
- Under federal law, voters with disabilities and voters who have difficulty reading or writing English have the right to receive in-person help at the polls from the person of their choice. This helper cannot be the voter’s employer, an agent of the voter’s employer, or an agent or officer of the voter’s union. The helper must respect the voter’s privacy, not looking at the voter’s ballot unless the voter asks them to do so.
- Election officials (including poll workers) must make reasonable accommodations as needed to help you vote.
- Election officials must provide you with help if it’s possible for them to do so.
- A voter with a mental disability cannot be turned away from the polls because a poll worker thinks they are not ‘qualified’ to vote.
What to do
- You can bring a family member, friend, or another person of your choice to assist you at the polls. Do not bring your employer, or an agent of your employer or union.
- If you bring a person to assist you, let the poll workers know that when you check in. They may ask you to swear under oath that you have a disability and that you have asked that person to help you. Your helper may also be required to sign a form swearing that they did not tell you how to vote.
- If there are long lines and you have a physical or mental health condition or disability that makes it difficult for you to stand in line, tell a poll worker.
- Tell election officials what you need. For example, if it’s hard for you to stand, they should provide you with a chair or a place to sit while you wait. If the crowds or noise are hard for you, election officials can find a quiet place for you to wait and call you when it’s your turn to vote.
- If you are not able to enter your polling place because the pathway to it is not fully accessible, ask poll workers for curbside assistance. Also call 1-866-OUR-VOTE to report the issue.
- If you have difficulty using the materials provided to make your ballot selections, review, or cast your ballot, let a poll worker know and ask for the help you need. Accessibility is the law.
- If you face any challenges in voting privately and independently or are unable to cast your vote, report the problem to the Election Protection hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE. Trained attorneys can assist you and make sure that other voters do not experience the same problem.
Additional information
- Find detailed voting guides at Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
- For a toolkit on voting with a disability, visit the Autistic Self Advocacy Network.
- Visit SABE’s GoVoter Project for accessible trainings on how to exercise your rights as a voter with a disability.
- Take a course on polling place accessibility requirements at the Rocky Mountain ADA Center.
- For voting in formation in American Sign Language, visit SignVote.
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I speak English less than “very well”
Your rights
- Under federal law, voters who have difficulty reading or writing English may receive in-person assistance at the polls from the person of their choice. This person cannot be the voter’s employer, an agent of the voter’s employer, or an agent or officer of the voter’s union.
- Counties covered by Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act are required to provide bilingual assistance to voters in specific languages. This means that they must provide poll workers who speak certain languages, and make all election materials and election-related information available in those languages. Check whether your county is required to provide bilingual election assistance in a language you speak.
What to do
- You can bring a family member, friend, or other person of your choice to assist you at the polls. Do not bring your employer, or an agent of your employer or union.
- If you live in a county that’s required to provide bilingual voting assistance for a language you speak, you can request oral assistance from a bilingual poll worker and ask for voting materials, such as a ballot, in that language.
- If you have trouble voting due to lack of English fluency, call one of these hotlines:
- Spanish: 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA / 1-888-839-8682
- Arabic: 1-844-YALLA-US / 1-844-925-5287
- English: 1-866-OUR-VOTE / 1-866-687-8683.
- Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Urdu, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, Vietnamese): 1-888-API-VOTE / 1-888-274-8683
Additional information
- For detailed guidance on bilingual voting assistance, visit Asian Americans Advancing Justice.
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Someone is interfering with my right to vote
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 or 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (en Español).
- Report intimidation to your local election officials. Their offices will be open on Election Day.
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