New York, NY - September 12, 2016 - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced that his office has created a Hotline to help troubleshoot and resolve a range of issues and barriers encountered by voters at the polls for the primary on Tuesday, September 13. The Attorney General urges voters experiencing problems or issues at the polls to call the office’s hotline at 800-771-7755 or email at any time on Tuesday between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. The hotline will be staffed by attorneys and staff in the office's Civil Rights Bureau.
“Ensuring that all eligible voters have the ability to cast an effective ballot on Election Day is the cornerstone of our democracy,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “My office is here to work with the Board of Elections to resolve a wide range of issues that may come up at the ballot box, and I urge all New Yorkers to contact my office immediately if they encounter any possible improprieties.”
To determine whether you have a contested election in your election district, contact your county Board of Elections.
In New York City and the counties of Erie, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Orange, Rockland and Putnam, polls open at 6 AM and close at 9 PM. In all other counties polls open at noon and close at 9 PM.
The Attorney General’s Office has operated the Hotline since November 2012. During previous efforts the office fielded hundreds of complaints from voters across the state and worked with local election officials and others to promptly address issues encountered by voters at the polls. The Election Day hotline is part of Attorney General Schneiderman's ongoing statewide initiative to ensure that voters do not encounter language barriers on Election Day.
During the April 19th Presidential Primary, the Attorney General’s office received over 1,000 complaints about voter irregularities at the polls. In response, the office announced an investigation into alleged improprieties in primary voting by the New York City Board of Elections. That investigation is active and ongoing.
In addition, the Attorney General's Office will focus on barriers impacting voters with disabilities, voter intimidation reports, and other issues faced by minority voters. Registered voters have the right to accessible elections. This means that voters with disabilities or language access issues have the right to request assistance from any person of their choice. In addition, all registered voters have the right to vote free from coercion or intimidation, whether by election officials or any other person.
The office will receive and respond to election-related complaints relating to any of the statutes that the office enforces.
The Attorney General’s Election Day Hotline is being led by Assistant Attorneys General Ajay Saini, Diane Lucas, and Sania Khan of the Civil Rights Bureau, led by Bureau Chief Lourdes Rosado. The Social Justice Division is led by Executive Deputy Attorney General Alvin Bragg.