Election protection hotline announced ahead of April primary
State Attorney General Letitia James has announced that the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) will make its Election Protection Hotline available for the presidential primary election, including during the early voting period.
Early voting runs through March 30, with Primary Election Day set for April 2.
The Election Protection Hotline will be available to troubleshoot and resolve a range of issues encountered by voters, including issues voting by absentee ballot, early mail ballot, or in-person at their polling place. A guide addressing frequently asked questions is also currently available to assist voters with, among other things, the absentee and early mail ballot process and voter registration issues.
New Yorkers are protected from voter intimidation, deception, suppression, and obstruction under state and federal law. All registered voters have the right to accessible elections. On Primary Election Day, polls are required to be open from 6 am to 9 pm, and if voters are in line before closing, they 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 any other person.
“The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy, and my office will always ensure every New Yorker is able to make their voice heard,” James said in a news release. “Our election protection hotline will once again be available to voters throughout this primary election to help address any challenges and provide helpful guidance, no matter how they choose to cast their ballot.”
Attorney General James urges voters experiencing election-related problems to call the OAG hotline at (866) 390-2992 or submit a complaint online to request assistance. The tele
phone hotline will be open between 9 am and 6 pm during early voting, and between 6 am and 9 pm on Primary Election Day. The hotline will also be available on April 1 and April 3, between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Written requests for assistance may be submitted at any time through the online complaint form. Hotline calls and written requests for assistance are processed by OAG attorneys and staff.
The OAG will receive and respond to election complaints relating to any of the statutes that OAG enforces, including the newly operative New York Voting Rights Act.
The OAG has operated its Election Protection Hotline since November 2012. During previous elections, OAG fielded hundreds — and sometimes thousands — of complaints from voters across the state and worked with local election officials and others to address issues. The OAG has also taken legal action to protect against voter registration purges and to ensure that voters have adequate and equitable access to vote early as required by law.
The OAG Election Day Hotline is being coordinated by the Voting Rights Section, headed by Section Chief Lindsay McKenzie, with Assistant Attorneys General Bethany Perskie, Edward Fenster, and Derek Borchardt, Senior Voting Rights Analysts Turquoise Baker and Jake Moore, and Administrative 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 led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Meghan Faux and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.