Learn more than nearly how to practise your voting rights, resist voter intimidation efforts, and access disability-related accommodations and language assistance at the polls. For help at the polls, telephone call the not-partisan Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

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Collage of images that represent voting discrimination

I need to register to vote

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States accept dissimilar voter registration deadlines and requirements, and so make sure you are registered well in advance of Ballot Day. Voter registration deadlines vary and some states permit individuals to register for the beginning time and bandage ballots on Ballot Day.

What to do

  • Check your registration condition at Can I Vote.
  • If you are non registered to vote, go to vote.gov to find your options. This link will provide data about your registration options, which may include online registration.

I need to notice my polling identify

Every state offers options to vote in-person on Election Solar day, even those that primarily conduct elections by postal service.

What to do

  • Find your polling place or vote center and its hours of operation.
  • Make a plan for Election Twenty-four hour period: When and where volition you bandage your vote, and how will you get there?

I'm not sure what to bring to the polls

Your state may require you to bring an ID or bring documents to show your residence, especially if you're voting for the offset time. Make sure yous're prepared.

What to practice

  • Learn what materials you lot'll need to bring with y'all to the polling place on Election Twenty-four hour period.

I want to vote before Ballot Day

Your rights

  • If yous cannot vote in-person on Election Day, you may exist able to vote early on or by absentee vote-past-mail ballot.
  • Some states let any voter to vote absentee; others have stricter requirements.

What to do

  • Learn about your options to exercise absentee or early voting in your state.
  • Keep in heed that the deadline to request an absentee ballot may be earlier Ballot Twenty-four hours.

What are my full general rights on Election Day?

Your rights

  • If the polls shut while y'all're yet in line, stay in line – you lot have the right to vote.
  • If y'all make a mistake on your ballot, enquire for a new ane.
  • If the machines are down at your polling place, ask for a paper ballot.
  • If yous run into any bug or take questions on Election Day, telephone call the Ballot Protection Hotline:
    • English: 1-866-OUR-VOTE / 1-866-687-8683
    • Spanish: 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA / 1-888-839-8682
    • Arabic: ane-844-YALLA-US / 1-844-925-5287
    • For Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Urdu, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, or Vietnamese: ane-888-274-8683

The poll worker says my proper noun is not on the list of registered voters

Your rights

  • Voters are entitled to a provisional ballot, even if they aren't in the poll volume.
  • After Ballot Day, election officials must investigate whether you lot are qualified to vote and registered. If yous are qualified and registered, they volition count your provisional ballot.

What to do

  • Ask the poll worker to double check for your proper noun on the list of registered voters. Brand sure to spell your name out for the poll worker.
  • If your name is not on the list, ask if there is a supplemental list of voters.
  • If the poll worker still cannot find your name, ostend that you are at the right polling identify:
    • Request that the poll workers check a statewide organisation (if one is bachelor) to see if you are registered to vote at a different polling place.
    • If the poll worker does not take admission to a statewide system, enquire them to call the main election office.
    • You can as well call 1-866-OUR-VOTE and enquire for help verifying your proper polling place.
    • If yous are registered at a unlike location, in most instances you will take to travel to that location to cast a regular ballot.
  • If the poll worker still cannot find your proper name or if you cannot travel to the right polling place, inquire for a conditional ballot.

Additional information

  • If you are turned away or denied a conditional election, call the Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE or ane-888-VE-Y-VOTA (en Español).
  • Report your experience to local ballot officials.

I am a voter with a disability

Your rights

  • Nether federal constabulary, all polling places for federal elections must be fully accessible to older adults and voters with disabilities. Simply assuasive curbside voting is not enough to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility requirements.
  • In federal elections, every polling place must accept at least ane voting organization that allows voters with disabilities to vote privately and independently. Usually, this is a machine that tin read the ballot to you (for people with vision disabilities or dyslexia), and let you vote by pushing buttons (for people with mobility disabilities).
  • Under federal law, voters with disabilities and voters who have difficulty reading or writing English have the right to receive in-person assist at the polls from the person of their choice. This helper cannot exist the voter's employer, an agent of the voter's employer, or an agent or officer of the voter'southward marriage. The helper must respect the voter's privacy, non looking at the voter's election unless the voter asks them to practice and so.
  • Election officials (including poll workers) must make reasonable accommodations every bit needed to assistance yous vote.
  • Election officials must provide you with assistance if it'south possible for them to do and then.
  • A voter with a mental disability cannot exist turned away from the polls because a poll worker thinks they are not 'qualified' to vote.

What to do

  • You can bring a family member, friend, or some other person of your choice to assistance y'all at the polls. Do not bring your employer, or an agent of your employer or matrimony.
  • If you bring a person to assist yous, let the poll workers know that when you lot check in. They may ask yous to swear under oath that you accept a inability and that yous have asked that person to help you. Your helper may also be required to sign a form swearing that they did not tell you how to vote.
  • If at that place are long lines and you have a physical or mental wellness condition or inability that makes information technology difficult for you to stand up in line, tell a poll worker.
  • Tell election officials what you demand. For example, if it'south hard for you to stand up, they should provide you with a chair or a place to sit down while you wait. If the crowds or noise are hard for you lot, election officials can observe a repose place for yous to wait and call you when it'southward your plough to vote.
  • If you are not able to enter your polling place because the pathway to information technology is non fully accessible, ask poll workers for curbside assistance. Also call 1-866-OUR-VOTE to study the event.
  • If you have difficulty using the materials provided to brand your ballot selections, review, or cast your election, let a poll worker know and ask for the help you need. Accessibility is the law.
  • If you lot face whatever challenges in voting privately and independently or are unable to cast your vote, report the problem to the Ballot Protection hotline at one-866-OUR-VOTE. Trained attorneys can assist you and make sure that other voters exercise non experience the same problem.

     Additional data

  • Notice detailed voting guides at Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
  • For a toolkit on voting with a disability, visit the Autistic Self Advocacy Network.
  • Visit SABE's GoVoter Project for attainable trainings on how to exercise your rights as a voter with a inability.
  • Take a course on polling place accessibility requirements at the Rocky Mountain ADA Centre.
  • For voting in formation in American Sign Linguistic communication, visit SignVote.

I speak English less than "very well"

Your rights

  • Under federal constabulary, voters who have difficulty reading or writing English language may receive in-person assistance at the polls from the person of their choice. This person cannot be the voter's employer, an agent of the voter'south employer, or an amanuensis or officer of the voter's spousal relationship.
  • Counties covered past Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act are required to provide bilingual assistance to voters in specific languages. This means that they must provide poll workers who speak certain languages, and make all election materials and election-related information available in those languages. Check whether your county is required to provide bilingual election assistance in a language you speak.

What to do

  • You can bring a family fellow member, friend, or other person of your choice to assist you at the polls. Exercise non bring your employer, or an agent of your employer or union.
  • If you live in a county that'south required to provide bilingual voting assistance for a linguistic communication you speak, y'all can request oral assistance from a bilingual poll worker and inquire for voting materials, such as a ballot, in that language.
  • If yous have trouble voting due to lack of English fluency, call one of these hotlines:
    • Castilian: one-888-VE-Y-VOTA / ane-888-839-8682
    • Arabic: i-844-YALLA-US / i-844-925-5287
    • English: one-866-OUR-VOTE / 1-866-687-8683.
    • Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Urdu, Korean, Standard mandarin, Tagalog, Vietnamese): ane-888-API-VOTE / 1-888-274-8683

Additional information

  • For detailed guidance on bilingual voting help, visit Asian Americans Advancing Justice.

Someone is interfering with my right to vote

Examples of voter intimidation

  • Aggressively questioning voters about their citizenship, criminal record, or other qualifications to vote.
  • Falsely representing oneself equally an elections official.
  • Displaying false or misleading signs most voter fraud and related criminal penalties.
  • Other forms of harassment, particularly harassment targeting non-English speakers and voters of color.
  • Spreading false information about voter requirements.
    • You lot do not need to speak English language to vote, in any state.
    • You do not need to pass a examination to vote, in any land.
    • Some states do non require voters to present photo identification.

Your rights

  • It'south illegal to intimidate voters and a federal offense to "intimidate, threaten, [or] coerce … any other person for the purpose of interfering with the right of [that] other person to vote or to vote as he may cull."

What to do if you lot feel voter intimidation

  • In many states, you tin give a sworn statement to the poll worker that you satisfy the qualifications to vote in your country, and then proceed to cast a ballot.
  • Report intimidation to the Election Protection Hotline at ane-866-OUR-VOTE or 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (en Español).
  • Report intimidation to your local election officials. Their offices will be open up on Election Day.