New Yorkers having trouble voting can reach the state attorney general's Election Protection Hotline at 866-390-2992 until 9 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The hotline will also operate from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, according to Attorney General Letitia James' office. Voters can submit an online complaint at any time through the form linked in the announcement.
The service assists people experiencing problems at polling places, voting by mail or otherwise exercising their right to vote. Attorneys and staff review calls and written requests and work to resolve election-related issues.
Polls close at 9 p.m.
Polls across New York are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Election Day. Voters who are in line before polls close must be allowed to vote, the attorney general's office said.
Registered voters have the right to accessible elections and to vote without coercion or intimidation by election officials or anyone else. The office receives and responds to complaints involving laws it enforces, including the New York Voting Rights Act.
James urged eligible voters to contact the office if they encounter problems casting their ballots. The hotline has operated since November 2012 and has handled hundreds, and in some elections thousands, of complaints statewide, working with local election officials and other partners.
Return mail ballots by the deadline
Tuesday is the last day to return mail-in ballots. Ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received by the Board of Elections within seven days, the office said.
James urged voters who still have their ballots to deliver them to an open polling place in their county or their local Board of Elections. Her office warned that changes in U.S. Postal Service postmark practices mean a ballot put in a mailbox may receive a postmark the following day or later.
The office has also published a voting guide addressing frequently asked questions. Online requests for help remain available outside the telephone hotline's operating hours.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to news@fingerlakes1.com.