Election Day voter hotline announced, state AG says

Voters in New York encountering problems Tuesday during the general election can call an Election Day hotline for help, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said.

Schneiderman said his office has created the hotline to help troubleshoot and resolve a range of issues and barriers encountered by voters at the polls, according to a Friday news release.

Schneiderman urged voters experiencing problems or issues at the polls to call the hotline at 800-771-7755 or email civil.rights@ag.ny.gov at any time on Tuesday between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.

His office has operated the hotline since November 2012. Since then, his office has 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 release said.

“My office is committed to ensuring that all eligible voters are able to cast an effective ballot on Election Day,” Schneiderman said in the release.

Schneiderman said his office received over 1,000 complaints about irregularities at polls during the April 19 presidential primary.

In response, the office is examining voting practices across the state, and these efforts are active and ongoing, the release said.

“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,” according to the release.

A voter at the correct polling place who experiences issues obtaining an affidavit ballot on Nov. 8 should contact the Attorney General’s Office, the release said.

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, the release said.