With long lines all over the country, the Voter Suppression Wiki is issuing another action alert with a reminder that as long as you’re in line when the polls close, you can still vote.
“Voters who are in line before their local polling place closes must be allowed to vote,” says Lillie Coney of EPIC and the National Center for Voting Integrity. “Walking toward the line at the time the polls close does not count. If there is a line after 4PM typically it will only get longer, so it’s best to get in line now for the duration.”
While most election workers are familiar with this rule, some may not be. Voters who encounter problems should immediately call a hotline such as 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683) or the Spanish-language 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (1-888-839-8682).
“Even if you’ve already voted, you can help get the word out by texting or phoning any friends and relatives you know who are standing in line,” says Jon Pincus, one of the organizers of the Voter Suppression Wiki. “Bloggers and local radio stations can also help by broadcasting this information — and anybody doing last-minute get out the vote work should make sure to tell people as well.”
Poll closing times vary from state to state; http://866ourvote.org and http://govote.org offer convenient ways of checking online. Be wary of deceptive emails and text messages claiming that the election has been continued until tomorrow — it’s not true.
“In many places, our voting system frustrates people to the point of driving them away from the process,” said Baratunde Thurston, initial creator of the wiki. “We cannot surrender to such a system, and one way to combat it is to make sure people know if you’re in line before closing time, you get to vote. It’s that simple.”
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