NY Attorney General Letitia James says election protection hotline available for primary voters

The election protection hotline will be available to voters on June 24, primary Election Day, and during the early voting period, June 14-22, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Friday.

The primaries will have 16 Suffolk County races, including Brooke A. Lupinacci against Edmund J. Smyth for Huntington Republican Supervisor and Robert Trotta against Edward R. Wehrheim for Smithtown Republican Supervisor. There are no races slated for Nassau County.

Voters can call the hotline at 866-390-2992 to troubleshoot and resolve issues, including difficulties voting by absentee ballot, early mail ballot or in-person at their polling place, according to an attorney general's news release.

The hotline will be available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. during early voting and from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Election Day. Voters can also call between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. the day before and after Election Day. Written requests for assistance can be submitted at any time through the attorney general's online complaint form.

Polls must be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Election Day, and voters in line before closing must be allowed to vote. State and federal law protects New Yorkers from voter intimidation, deception, suppression and obstruction by election officials or any other person.

"New Yorkers deserve to feel safe about casting their ballots when they head to the polls for this month’s primary," said James in the news release.

The Attorney General's office  has addressed hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of complaints during previous elections, the news release said. It fielded almost 100 complaints from Nassau and Suffolk County during the November 2024 election, according to Grant Fox, deputy press secretary.

The office will respond to election complaints relating to any of the statutes it enforces, including the New York Voting Rights Act, and has taken legal action in some cases.

James and a multistate coalition of 18 other attorneys general sued the Trump administration on April 3 over President Donald Trump's March 25 executive order, which requires proof of citizenship to register to vote and demands all votes to be received by Election Day. The coalition won a court order Friday, allowing states to pause efforts to comply with the order.

Voters seeking assistance with the absentee and early mail ballot process and voter registration issues should consult the OAG's frequently asked questions.