The crucial day arrives for the mid-term elections in the country, which for New York voters, in addition to having the opportunity to elect or re-elect positions in the Senate and the House of Representatives, coincides with state elections where Governor and seats in the State Senate and Assembly will be chosen.
Before this event, in which voters will decide who will govern and legislate in New York, Attorney General Letitia James issued a guide for Boards of Elections (BOE) of all counties and law enforcement agencies, on how to combat voter intimidation.
Under state and federal law, it is illegal for any person to intimidate, threatens or coerces voters in an effort to interfere with their electoral choice.
To reinforce these norms, the attorney general also sent guidance to the local BOE on how to avoid long lines and ratify the ap Heard voters with disabilities at high-traffic sites, since more than 20 percent of New Yorkers have a disability.
“Voting is safe and secure in New York State. During early voting and on Election Day, New Yorkers should be able to vote with pride, without fear of intimidation. And we must not have unmanageable queues or inaccessible polling places,” James stressed.
The official’s repeated call, hours before these elections, was very clear: Citizens who find obstacles to vote or who feel “invaded” in the queues, to direct their opinion to a candidate, they have every right to report what they consider may be an irregularity.
Special Treatment
To reduce crowding, BOEs should consider providing additional staff and additional voting stations in locations that historically have higher voter density. It is also suggested to extend the hours of early voting, when possible.
This institution will also ensure that clear and accessible signage is provided in several languages, in all centers, to inform voters with disabilities about the availability of adaptations.
In addition, voters with disabilities and the elderly must be provided seats if they cannot stand for long periods of time.
It should be noted that federal law has determined that intimidation of voters includes threatening violence, chasing people at polling places, and speaking loudly about prosecuting them for voting illegally.
Furthermore, the public dissemination of the names and addresses of voters, or “doxing” to put pressure on those people, the carrying out of unsubstantiated patterns of arrests and prosecutions in the vicinity of the meetings of voter registration, are actions that can be classified as crimes.
What should you know about this election day?
On the day of the in-person vote in New York and throughout the country, It will be on Tuesday, November 8. The polls will be open from 6 am to 9 pm and early voting runs from 29 October through November 6. In this general election, New Yorkers will vote for:
- US Senate. : Between Republican Joe Pinion (R) and Democrat Chuck Schumer (D).