Know Your Voter Rights
Federal and state laws protect your right to vote. Know what's legal and what's not.
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Your Federal Voting Rights
Federal law (52 U.S.C. § 20511, 18 U.S.C. § 594) makes it a crime to intimidate, threaten, or coerce anyone for voting or attempting to vote. This includes law enforcement setting up roadblocks, checkpoints, or surveillance operations near polling places to discourage voters.
ICE has a longstanding policy against enforcement operations at or near polling places, schools, churches, and other sensitive locations. If you witness immigration enforcement activity near a polling place on Election Day, report it immediately.
Under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), if your eligibility is questioned at the polls, you have the right to cast a provisional ballot. Your vote will be counted if your eligibility is later confirmed.
Under the Voting Rights Act, voters who need help due to disability or inability to read English may bring someone to assist them (except their employer or union representative).
Most states require employers to give employees time off to vote. Some states require this time to be paid. Check your state's specific laws.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act and HAVA, polling places must be accessible to voters with disabilities, including providing accessible voting machines.
What Counts as Voter Intimidation?
- Roadblocks or checkpoints near polling places — especially on Election Day
- Armed individuals lingering near voting locations (even if legal to carry in your state, it may constitute intimidation)
- Photographing or recording voters entering or leaving polling places
- Aggressively questioning voters about their citizenship, eligibility, or identity
- Spreading false information about voting requirements (wrong dates, fake ID rules, etc.)
- Unmarked vehicles conducting surveillance near polling locations
- Following voters to or from polling places
- Threatening consequences for voting a certain way or voting at all
What To Do If You Experience Intimidation
- Stay calm and exercise your right to vote. Do not leave without voting.
- Document what you see — note the time, location, descriptions of individuals or vehicles, badge numbers if visible, and take photos/video if safe to do so.
- Report it immediately — call 866-OUR-VOTE or use BallotPulse's incident reporting tool.
- Ask for a poll worker or supervisor — they are trained to handle disruptions.
- Request a provisional ballot if anyone tries to prevent you from voting.
- Contact local media — public attention helps prevent continued intimidation.
- File a complaint with the DOJ Civil Rights Division at 800-253-3931.