Attorney General James Reminds New Yorkers of Election Protection Hotline on Election Day

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today reminded New Yorkers that the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) Election Protection Hotline is available to assist voters experiencing problems at the polls, voting by mail, or accessing their right to vote in today’s general election. The hotline will be available from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. today and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. tomorrow to troubleshoot and resolve a range of issues encountered by voters. A guide addressing frequently asked questions is also available to assist voters with any problems encountered at the polls.

“Today is your opportunity to make your voice heard, and every eligible New Yorker deserves to cast their ballot without fear or intimidation,” said Attorney General James. “My office is here to help New Yorkers navigate any problems they encounter at the polls and ensure their voices are heard. If you experience an issue while voting today, call our Election Protection Hotline. We are ready to help.”

Attorney General James urges voters experiencing election-related problems to call the OAG hotline at (866) 390-2992 or submit a complaint online. The telephone hotline will be open today between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. and tomorrow between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., and requests for assistance may be submitted at any time through the online complaint form. OAG attorneys and staff process all hotline calls and written requests for assistance.

The OAG has operated its Election Protection Hotline since November 2012. During previous elections, the office has fielded hundreds and sometimes thousands of complaints from voters across the state and worked with local election officials and other partners to address issues. The OAG has also taken legal action to protect against voter registration purges and ensure voters have adequate and equitable access to vote early, as required by law.

All registered voters have the right to accessible elections. On Election Day, polls must be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., and voters in line before polls close must be allowed to vote. In addition, all registered voters have the right to vote free from coercion or intimidation, whether by election officials or anyone else. The OAG will receive and respond to election complaints related to any statutes OAG enforces, including the New York Voting Rights Act.

Today is also the last day to return mail-in ballots. All ballots must be postmarked by today and received by the Board of Elections within seven days of Election Day. Due to recent changes in how the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) applies postmarks, a ballot dropped in a mailbox will likely not be postmarked until the next day or later. Attorney General James therefore urges voters who have yet to return their ballots to instead drop them off at any open poll site in their county or at their local Board of Elections.

The OAG Election Protection Hotline is being coordinated by the Voting Rights Section, led by Section Chief Lindsay McKenzie, with Special Counsel Bethany Perskie, Assistant Attorneys General Edward Fenster, Derek Borchardt, Rebecca Culley, Martin Ascher, Roni Druks, and Jerry Vattamala, Senior Voting Rights Analysts Turquoise Baker and Jake Moore, Voting Rights Analysts Chris Chin, Chris Leaverton, Madison Buchholz, and Dena Li, and Legal Assistant Trainee 2 Lyric Landon. The Voting Rights Section is part of the Civil Rights Bureau, overseen by Bureau Chief Sandra Park and Deputy Bureau Chief Travis England. The Civil Rights Bureau is a part of the Division for Social Justice, which is overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Meghan Faux.