not urging anyone to vote...

[lagilman]

because at this point, if you've been paying attention, you're tired unto death of this entire thing. And if you haven't been paying attention, well, nothing I say at this point is going to make a difference.

But I will give you some information you hopefully will never need:

* Know your rights. If you're an eligible voter, you have the following rights:
--If your name is not on the official voter list but you believe you are eligible to vote in that precinct, even if an election official challenges your vote, you have the right to cast a "provisional ballot."
--If you're in line when the polls close, you should stay in line because you're entitled to vote.
--In many states, your employer must allow you time to vote at some point during the day. You can't be fired for being late due to long polling lines.
--You have the right to vote without being intimidated by anyone.
--For your rights in your own state, check out this website:
http://www.ourvote.com/

* Bring photo ID, preferably government-issued ID or a utility bill, phone bill, or paycheck with your name and current street address. If you're a new registrant, it may be required.

* Vote in the morning. In a great majority of polling places, everything will go smoothly, but by going early you can help prevent lines later in the day.

* A regular ballot is better than a provisional ballot. If your eligibility to vote is questioned, ask if you can cast a regular ballot by providing additional ID or by going to another polling place. Only cast a provisional ballot if there's no alternative available.

So, what if something does go wrong?

First, document it. If there are specific individuals involved who are challenging your right to vote, intimidating voters, or interfering with the process, try to get their names. Write down exactly what happened, including the time of day, descriptions of the people involved, and any other details you can remember.

Then, report it. There are lots of organizations that will be working to respond quickly to complaints of voter intimidation, suppression, and fraud.

Here's who to call:
* Common Cause: Call 1-866-MYVOTE1. Common Cause has set up a hotline that you can call to report any problems you have voting. They'll document where problems are occuring, watch for wide-spread voter suppression, and provide real-time legal help to the hot spots.

* 1-866-OUR-VOTE. This hotline has been set up by a coalition of
nonpartisan groups to deal with the most serious problems on election day. They have hundreds of lawyers standing by to immediately respond to the most egregious problems. 1-866-OUR-VOTE is the "911" of voter suppression hotlines. Please don't call unless your problem is serious enough that you have to talk to a lawyer immediately.

* MoveOn PAC: Go to http://www.moveonpac.org. On election day, we'll have a form where you can post any problems you encounter and get help.

To download a wallet-sized card with all of this information that you can bring with you to the polls, go to:

http://cdn.moveonpac.org/content/pdfs/ep_card.pdf

Comments

[redstarrobot.livejournal.com]

What I have yet to see discussed is what, if any, answers are owed to party-affiliated voter challengers...

[lagilman]

The only thing they can challenge you on is your residency (i.e. right to vote). The only answer owed to them is proof of same. When/If in doubt, call over an election day volunteer.

It is illegal (at least in NJ) for a challnger to challenge based on assumption of party affilation.

[redstarrobot.livejournal.com]

So one really does owe someone who isn't a poll worker an answer? It seems like the question of one's right to vote would be a matter for the poll workers alone to question.

[lagilman]

That's what a challnger does, challenges your right to vote. That's why they've been called "intimidation tactics" because someone who has even the faintest doubt or uncertainty about the system, or is afraid that race or age or whathaveyou will be used to hassle them, may not vote rather than deal with that b.s.

But they're very limited in what they can actually do/ask. Or so the Folk Passing Out Info say.

[redstarrobot.livejournal.com]

I know it's what a challenger does; I'm just wondering if they're entitled to an answer when they do. They can challenge all they want, but is it based on having a right to an answer, or simply hoping they'll look official enough to get one?

[lagilman]

My understanding is that they're entitled to an answer, because they're acting as an offical (if unwanted) observer, much like "if anyone knows a reaosn why this man and woman..." etc.

But not anyone can challenge -- they have to be certified, by some means I didn't bother to look into.

You can refuse to answer, sure. But since all you have to do is verify the info that's already on record, why give them the satisfaction of maybe being able to interfere with your vote?

[redstarrobot.livejournal.com]

Eh, true. But I do think it undermines faith in the voting process to have explicitly partisan representatives checking the validity of your registration. The time for partisan action is before the polls open.

[windrose.livejournal.com]

Because I had registered by mail, and because of the horror stories one hears about Florida voter fraud, I made sure I had a copy of my utility bill and several other documents proving I did, indeed, live in Florida and had the right to vote here, just in case there was a problem. But there were no official challengers in the building where I voted, and my AZ driver's license worked just fine for a picture ID.