New York Civic Groups Offer Voter Assistance on Election Day
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW YORK–The New York Civil Liberties Union, along with a coalition of civic groups, today announced initiatives to inform New Yorkers of their voting rights, including launching a helpline for voters to be staffed for 12 hours on Election Day.
“There’s been a lot of attention focused on the problems voters may face in other states, but we have our fair share of problems right here in New York,” said Donna Lieberman, Executive Director of the NYCLU. “We’re committed to making sure that this fundamental right isn’t abused.”
Volunteers for the coalition, which includes the New York Public Interest Research Group, Common Cause/NY and Just Democracy in addition to the NYCLU, will be monitoring conditions at poll sites across the city and surveying voters on whether they experienced problems when voting. The groups expect to have monitors at 150 sites across the five boroughs, more than ten percent of the total number in the city.
“New York shouldn’t be the next Florida,” said Neal Rosenstein, coordinator of the New York Public Interest Research Group’s Democracy Project. “If there are problems at the polls, we want to know about them and we will try and make sure they stop.”
Megan Quattlebaum of Common Cause/NY added, “Our helpline can inform voters of their rights, take complaints and assist voters with basic information about the election.”
The helpline, 212-822-0282, will be in operation from 7am to 7pm on Election Day. New York City residents also can find voter information at 866-868-3692.
In coordination with the NYCLU and other state affiliates, the ACLU has distributed more than 100,000 voter empowerment cards in English and Spanish, which contain information for voters on their rights and ways to avoid problems when voting.
The cards are available for download at www.aclu.org/vec
Stay Informed
Every month, you'll receive regular roundups of the most important civil rights and civil liberties developments. Remember: a well-informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.
By completing this form, I agree to receive occasional emails per the terms of the ACLU’s privacy policy.
The Latest in Voting Rights
-
Historic Win: U.S. Supreme Court Rules Alabama’s Congressional Map Violates the Voting Rights Act by Diluting Black Political Power
-
Utah State Legislature v. League of Women Voters
-
New Motions Filed in Lawsuit Challenging Georgia’s Omnibus Anti-Voter Law Seek to Defend Against Racial Discrimination and Remove Barriers to Absentee Voting
-
Voting and Immigrants’ Rights Advocates Sue Over New Florida Law That Targets Voter Registration, Civic Engagement, and Political Speech
ACLU's Vision
The American Civil Liberties Union is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America.
Learn More About Voting Rights
Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy and the fundamental right upon which all our civil liberties rest. The ACLU works to protect and expand Americansʼ freedom to vote.