What to Do If You Are Bullied at the Polling Station
Although millions of people have already voted, it is expected that there will be many more in the polling stations tomorrow. Of course, in 2016 , Republicans relied on suppression tactics , but this time, the president has repeatedly called on his supporters to take action, asking them to act as “election observers” tomorrow. While poll observation is a legal and legitimate part of the electoral process ( read more here ), what Donald Trump suggested is that his followers simply show up at polling stations to “observe” (and thereby intimidate) voters. , – this is not true.
If you find yourself harassed or intimidated by one of these self-styled election monitors or polling officials, or anyone else, remember that you are eligible to vote and there are steps you can take to ensure that you get to take advantage of this right. One of them is a call to the voter protection hotline. Here are some options.
Voter Protection Hotlines
If you’re looking for information on some of the more common scams and voter suppression techniques we’ll likely see tomorrow, and what to do if you opt out of polls , we’ve covered both topics in depth already. Here are some of the Voter Defense Hotlines you’ll want to keep ready (or even keep in touch now):
Election Defense Coalition
This national, non-partisan organization, governed by the Lawyers’ Committee on Civil Rights in accordance with the law, has voter protection hotlines in various languages:
- English : 866-OUR-VOTE / 866-687-8683
- Spanish / English : 888-VE-Y-VOTA / 888-839-8682
- Asian / English : 888-API-VOTE / 888-274-8683
- Arabic / English : 844-YALLA-US / 844-925-5287
Use this interactive map for information on your state.
State and local election commissions
While these are not dedicated voter protection hotlines, if you find yourself in a situation where you need to speak to someone at the electoral office in your state or local district, you can find these phone numbers here .
Democratic Party
Over the weekend, President Barack Obama posted a handy Instagram illustration showing voter protection hotlines as well as lines for each state:
This national number – 1-833-DEM-VOTE (1-833-336-8683) – is monitored 24/7 by Democratic National Committee staff who are on hand to answer questions regarding disqualification of offenders, voter cleansing, and misconduct. employees of election commissions, voter. cars, availability and more.
The rest of the phone numbers are Voter Protection Hotlines run by the Democratic Party of each state. They were included in this drawing by Vote to Save America , the same organization that offers the Bring Your Own Newsletter tool , as well as a range of other information, including how you can still volunteer today and tomorrow. …
Republican Party
The Republican National Committee does not have the equivalent of the Democratic National Committee ‘s voter protection hotlines and does not provide much contact information in general. The public telephone number for RNC is 202-863-8500 , although this seems to be more like a service number than a hotline.
You might be in luck if you go directly to your state’s GOP headquarters; they should point you in the right direction. For example, the Arkansas GOP reported that so far they have received reports of “minor issues, but nothing beyond what was expected.” It looks like every state doesn’t have a list of GOPs, just google “[your state] + GOP” and you should find it.