What are my voting rights?
Civic Notes
A core tenet of democracy is fair voting, and America has prioritized fair voting for all its citizens. Your rights as a voter are protected by numerous laws, and knowing them before you head to the poll can help your vote count.
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IF THE POLLS ARE CLOSING...
If you’re in line but the polls are closing, stay in line! You still have the right to vote. Remain in line and you’ll still be allowed to cast your ballot.
Make sure you know the hours of your polling place before you make your voting plan for the day of the election.
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IF YOU'RE NOT ON THE LIST AT THE POLLS...
Anyone who isn’t on the list at their polling place may cast a provisional ballot. This ballot is verified by election officials and counted after it is clear that you are qualified and registered.
If you feel you are on the list, and maybe just not at that polling place, ask the election worker to check a statewide list for your name. If you are registered at a different polling place, you may have to travel there to cast a regular ballot.
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IF YOU FEEL TARGETED AT YOUR POLLING PLACE…
You have the protected right to a private vote. There is no law against anyone asking you who you voted for, but there are laws protecting your decision to share that information or not.
It is illegal for anyone to impersonate an elections official, and it is a federal crime to intimidate, threaten, or coerce anyone into voting for a particular candidate.
To report intimidation at the polls, call the Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE or 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA en Español.
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IF YOU MAKE A MISTAKE ON YOUR BALLOT...
You can ask for a new ballot! Simply speak to a polling place worker and they’ll set you up with a new one.
Info from this page gathered from USA.gov and the ACLU. For more information, including the latest updates during this COVID-affected election cycle, visit them directly. You can also call the nonpartisan Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION
Huskers can find more voting resources anytime by clicking here
Students can become members of the Husker Vote Coalition by clicking here
Reach out to Andrew Brown at andrew.brown@unl.edu for more information.