New York, NY - September 5, 2014 - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman will operate a statewide Election Day hotline to help ensure that all eligible voters are able to cast an effective ballot during the primary election on Tuesday, September 9. The Attorney General encourages voters to report issues or problems at polls by calling the office’s hotline at 800-771-7755 or emailing civil.rights@ag.ny.gov at any time between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Election Day.
“The right to vote stands at the cornerstone of our democracy, and my office is committed to protecting the right of all eligible voters to participate fully and meaningfully in our electoral process,” Attorney General Schneiderman said. “We will continue to promote compliance with the requirements of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 while ensuring that no eligible voter encounters obstacles in casting their vote at the ballot box.”
Since launching the statewide hotline in November 2012, Attorney General Schneiderman’s Civil Rights Bureau has fielded hundreds of complaints from voters and worked successfully with local election officials and others to troubleshoot and resolve many issues at polling sites across New York. The Election Day hotline is part of Attorney General Schneiderman's ongoing work to ensure that voters enjoy full and equal access to the political process regardless of their language ability, disability or other minority status.
By way of the hotline, attorneys will address complaints concerning whether voters are subject to different voting qualifications on the basis of race, color, or minority language status; whether jurisdictions are complying with the language requirements of the Voting Rights Act; and issues concerning poll site accessibility faced by voters with disabilities, among other things. The Attorney General’s Office has worked closely with Boards of Elections across New York State to address language access issues, to dismantle barriers impacting voters with disabilities, and to confront other issues faced by minority voters.
The Office of the Attorney General's hotline, staffed by attorneys in the office’s Civil Rights Bureau, will operate from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Election Day, September 9th. To submit an Election Day complaint, call 800-771-7755 or email civil.rights@ag.ny.gov.
The Attorney General’s Election Day hotline is being run by Assistant Attorney General Ajay Saini of the Civil Rights Bureau, which is led by Bureau Chief Kristen Clarke. The Social Justice Division is led by Executive Deputy Attorney General Alvin Bragg.