New York, NY - November 4, 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 General Election on November 8. 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.
“My office is committed to ensuring that all eligible voters are able to cast an effective ballot on Election Day,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “If voters encounter any barriers to voting or improprieties at the ballot box, call my office immediately.
All registered New Yorkers are eligible to vote in the upcoming General Election, regardless of party affiliation. Voters can check their registration status here. Every poll site in the state will be open from 6 AM until 9 PM. If you reside outside New York City and you are trying to find your poll site click here. If you are registered in New York City and you are trying to find your poll site, click here. Finally, if you want to contact your local Board of Elections directly, you can find contact information here.
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 irregularities at the polls. In response, the office is examining voting practices across the state. These efforts are active and ongoing. In the interim, the Attorney General’s Office has issued a letter to the State Board of Elections, emphasizing the importance of providing voters with provisional or affidavit ballots when they arrive at the right poll site, but cannot find their name in the poll book. If a voter is at his or her correct polling place, but is experiencing issues obtaining an affidavit ballot on November 8, they should contact the Attorney General’s Office.
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 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.