common election day problems
TRANSCRIPT
Content of Today’s Webinar
• Voter Bill of Rights – All Voters Have Them!
• Voter Registration and Voting Process
• Language and Disability Access
• Potential Barriers to Access – What to Watch Out For and Report• Common Procedural Problems • Electioneering • Misinformation vs. Disinformation
• What You Can Do If Your Rights Have Been Violated
• Volunteer Opportunities to Protect the Vote
• Q&A
Voter Registration1. Is voter registered? Check vote status
https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/.
2. Register to vote in person! (Online registration deadline was Oct. 19)
3. Has the voter moved since they last voted?
4. When was the last time the voter voted?
5. Encourage the voter to vote at any vote center in the county!
6. If all else fails, voter can cast a provisional ballot (i.e., the failsafe ballot)
Voter Identification• First-time voters vs. experienced
voters
• In CA, you do NOT need an ID to vote, unless:
• You are 1) a first time voter AND 2) you registered to vote without including your driver's license number, state ID number, or SSN
• If needed, ID options include
• Government-issued photo ID
• Other photo ID
• ID proving address (e.g., utility bill, paycheck stub)
• Options for voters without ID
Vote Center Locations and Conditions
• Vote Centers and Official Ballot Boxes can all be found HERE (https://www.ocvote.com/voting/voting-and-dropoff-locations-by-election)
• Voters should not have to wait longer than half an hour to vote.
• Polling places should have adequate number of machines and staff, and electronic pollbooks and voting and vote-counting machines should be fully functional.
Orange County
Vote Center Hours
Vote Early - Oct. 30 to Nov. 2
8 AM to 8 PM
Election Day – Nov. 3
7 AM to 8 PM
Access Assistance
• Voters with disabilities and voters in need of language assistance:
• Have a right to assistance from two people of their choice• Not employer or union representative
• Orange County must provide ballots in Chinese, Korean, Spanish, and Vietnamese—copies of ballots must be available in certain precincts in other languages as well
Common Election Day Problems
Information about identification requirements
Voters who have moved or have changed names since registering, or whose registration isn’t found by poll workers, and who are denied ballots
Concern about voting machines, long lines, intimidating or discriminatory behavior, and other conditions at polling places.
Difficulties locating or securing transportation to polling places.
Questions about people with felony convictions
Electioneering
• Electioneering: Talking to or handing out information to a voter to persuade them to vote a certain way.
• Buffer zone from the door of the polling place or voting room is 100 ft. in California
• Voters may be allowed to wear campaign t-shirts, buttons, etc. when they go to vote – depends on the state
• California is strict on no electioneering
• Shirts such as BLM are NOT electioneering
Voter Protection
Problem Check-List
# Question YES NO
1 Were you or do you feel you were being treated differently? Were you able to communicate effectively with poll workers?
2 Were you able to cast a regular ballot? If not, were you offered or provided upon request a provisional ballot?
3 Were you asked for (incorrect) voter identification?
4 Was your registration status what you expected it to be?
5
6
7
Were there individuals attempting to intimidate you at the polls?
How long did you wait to vote? Were there broken voting machines or other infrastructure malfunctioning?
Did you receive materials, including ballots, in the mail as expected?
Sound the Alarm Poor poll worker training
Machine breakdowns, polls not open or closing early, polling place not open at expected location
No language assistance
Voter intimidation or discriminatory behavior in or outside a polling place or elections office
Accessibility issues for people with disabilities
Someone who expected to be registered is told they are not on the rolls
Someone who believes they are eligible to vote is not offered, or refused, a provisional ballot
Absentee voter refused assistance or provisional ballot, or prevented from dropping off ballot at polling place or elections office
Absentee voter does not receive mail ballot on time, or is not given sufficient time or opportunity to cure a problem that may lead to ballot’s rejection
Misinformation vs. Disinformation
Disinformation
• Disinformation, or false information intended to deceive, presents a complicated challenge to this year’s local, state and federal elections.
• Amplification: efforts to expose and counter disinformation can end up having the opposite effect – amplifying its reach and adding to its legitimacy. Any attention (particularly mainstream media attention) can provide oxygen to the fire of disinformation.
Misinformation
• Misinformation is different from disinformation and can spread when journalists misinterpret or fail to independently verify a source’s claims.
• This is especially likely to occur during an unfolding crisis or breaking news because media tends to act quickly and seek comment or response, publishing information that was not verified and amplifying the confusion of the moment.
Robust, Collaborative Protection System
• Provide basic voter information and answer questions regarding deadlines and requirements
• Issue intake
• Monitor and resolve issues
• Coordinate with field EPC teams and reach out to election officials for administrative issues
• Collect detailed information on issue trends and work closely with legal partners for required administrative or litigation follow up
Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT Saturday, October 31 from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. PTMonday, November 2 from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. PTTuesday, November 3 from 2:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. PT
Election Protection Hotline
www.junkipedia.org/tips/naleo-election
Online Reporting Form
Advancing Justice-LA
Orange County specific helplines:
Election Protection Hotlines
Tagalog: 714-477-2959
Thai: 714-477-2960
Vietnamese: 714-477-2961
English: 714-477-2956
Chinese: 714-477-2957
Korean: 714-477-2958
Online Reporting Formhttps://advancingjustice-la.org/your-vote-matters
At the core of Election Protection are four national hotlines to provide
voters with critical election information, resolve issues, and document
irregularities. During election season, the four hotlines are linked
together.
(866) OUR-VOTE(888) VE-Y-VOTA(888) API-VOTE(844) YALLA-US
Election Protection Hotlines
Opportunities to Engage in Election Protection
Report misinformation/
disinformation
Report any concerns
Remind others to vote!
Ride to Vote!
Daniel JeonVoting Rights Staff Attorney at Asian Americans Advancing [email protected]
Darlene MorenoCivic Engagement Campaign Manager at NALEO Educational [email protected]
Hallie StohlerClient Specialist at Charitable [email protected]
THANK YOU.