New York State has extensive laws and rules designed to protect voting rights and make it easier for Black and Brown residents to cast their ballots. However, things can sometimes go awry, so it’s important to know what to do and whom to call for assistance on Election Day. Let’s get into it!
Voting in New York 101
During early voting and on Election Day this fall, polling places are run by a beehive of poll workers, coordinators, inspectors, technicians, clerks, and interpreters — all staffed by district leaders and county committee members who work hand-in-hand with the state and city Board of Elections (BOE) — all of whom should be able to help voters in a pinch.
“People not knowing what’s on their ballot is a big one, and people not turning over their ballot for the ballot measures on the other side,” said Brooklyn Democratic Party Deputy Administrator Sabrina Gates about what can go wrong on Election Day.
Logistically, the biggest things to remember about voting are to get registered or check that your status is active and check for your proper polling place, said Anthony Beckford, a district leader for the 43rd Assembly District. Many people forget that early voting was only signed into law in 2019 and is still a fairly new option. An early voting polling site is different from a regular, tried-and-true, familiar polling place, he said. This can also be the case when polling places are moved because of redistricting.
It’s important to know that a person can register and vote in New York who is 18 years of age or older (pre-registration starts at 16), a state resident for at least a month before the election, a U.S.-born or naturalized citizen; not currently in prison for a felony conviction or in jail awaiting trial, or is on parole or probation or under supervised release.
Other things to remember include:
- You need to say your name and address when you get to your polling place. Poll workers should be able to verify who you are from that.
- Voters don’t need to show identification or state ID to vote, unless you are a first-time voter who did not provide ID when registering.
- Some NYC voters have already received their voter ID cards (Fast Pass Tag) and QR code in the mail with general instructions and voting information. This is helpful, but absolutely not necessary to vote.
- Voters can check deadlines, election dates, registration status, election district (ED), assembly district (AD), early voting site, and polling site information at amsterdamnews.com/election2024/ or vote.nyc/.
- If you are not on the active voter registration list, then you are entitled by state law to a paper ballot and an affidavit envelope. An affidavit is also required if someone has a disability or has trouble reading, makes a mistake on filling out their ballot, or is at the polling site just before or at 9 p.m. when the polls close. These envelopes are not opened or counted at the poll site.
Run-of-the-mill issues that voters can also encounter are ballot machines that break down, which means emergency ballots will be provided, or long lines that can discourage voters, added Beckford. The BOE recently created a wait time map that allows voters to view wait times at a specific polling site. It can be accessed at vote.nyc/page/wait-time-map.
In some instances, a voter can be “challenged” by poll workers at the site if their signatures don’t match what’s on file, someone has already voted using the person’s name, or it is believed that a person has moved from the address on file. For the five boroughs in New York City, voters should contact their county BOE with any issues at 1-866-Vote-NYC (866-868-3692).
Protecting voter rights
In 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul signed the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York (NYVRA), building on the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, in an effort to further protect against anti-voter tactics, such as voter suppression and intimidation. The bill included expanding language access for non-native English speakers, fighting discriminatory voting rules in state courts, and launching a preclearance program to prove that changes to voting laws wouldn’t affect historically disenfranchised voters of color.
“This will be the first presidential election in which voters in New York will benefit from the NYVRA’s robust protections against voter suppression, intimidation, obstruction, and deception, in spite of the Supreme Court’s erosion of anti-discrimination protections at the federal level,” said Michael Pernick, political participation counsel for the Legal Defense Fund (LDF), in a statement. “We encourage Black voters and other voters of color in New York to be vigilant, know their rights, and use these tools to protect themselves as they head to the polls in this critical election.”
The LDF said that voters of color in the state, especially those whose first language is not English, still face discrimination and barriers at the polls. They can experience issues with local government and BOE officials gerrymandering district lines, making polling locations inaccessible, and inadequately staffing language assistance and translators.
“One of the main issues is making sure we have an adequate amount of translators,” said Beckford. “If you look at the BOE, it mainly has Spanish and Chinese [translators], but you have districts that have a large population of Creole speakers, Yiddish, Urdu speakers in the Muslim community. They need services as well.”
In 2024, New York State Attorney General Letitia James defended the state’s Early Mail Voter Act, which allowed all authorized registered voters to apply to vote by mail for any election, and beat back conspiracy theorists who intimidated Black voters with “menacing” robocalls. Anti-voter tactics against voters of color can also look like polling place closures in Black neighborhoods on Election Day or longer lines in Black communities, said James.
Her office said that any voter intimidation or suppression should be reported immediately to the Office of the New York State Attorney General’s (OAG) Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-390-2992, or submitted online using the digital Election Complaint Form.
How to spot misinformation
In the digital age, it can be hard to differentiate between what’s fact or fiction before a voter can even vote, especially with the advent of artificial intelligence- (AI-) created voting materials and deep fakes. James suggests voters should keep an eye out for AI election misinformation this year:
- Don’t rely on chatbots to answer questions about elections or voting.
- If you encounter social media content that you think is a deep fake, report it on the platform where you see it.
- Be skeptical of images, audio, and video circulating online about the elections, candidates, or their campaigns. If you see emotionally charged, sensational, and surprising content, be especially cautious. Remember that it might be fake and don’t share it.
- Deepfakes and content that is AI-generated can leave clues showing they are fake, but the technology is getting better all the time. Even tools for detecting AI are not always accurate.
James’s office urged voters who see anything misleading or inaccurate about elections, particularly misinformation concerning the time, place, and manner of voting, to contact her office by filling out the online complaint form: Select Other and enter “Election Misinformation” for the complaint topic with a copy of the content.
How to report a possible civil rights violation
The U.S Attorney’s office can help with serious issues like voter complaints, threats against voting staff, and election fraud through the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), but they urge voters to contact state and local police in the case of imminent violence or intimidation via 911 before reaching out to federal authorities, because they don’t have primary jurisdiction over polling places.
The Southern District of New York U.S. Attorney’s office covers Manhattan and the Bronx, along with Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, and Westchester counties. The Northern District of New York covers 32 counties upstate and central New York; and the Eastern District of New York represents Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and all of Long Island.
Federal election laws pertain to intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also includes civil rights protections from discrimination on the basis of race, color, or language.
To report civil rights violations, go to civilrights.justice.gov/report or call 800-253-3931. For more general information about the DOJ Civil Rights Division, go to