As far as the extremists are concerned, 2022 is just an offshoot of 2020 and a prelude to 2024. Which means that, in plenty of places around the country, voting is going to be as difficult as GOP officials can make it. In some areas, it could be actually dangerous. So it’s definitely best to be prepared. The Justice Department certainly is: It has deployed election monitors to 64 different jurisdictions in 24 states to make sure that federal voting laws are followed.
What do you do if you see an election crime? If it involves violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place, the Department of Justice says to call it in to local police authorities by calling 911. Then report it to the Justice Department, Civil Rights Division.
DOJ Civil Rights Division
- Staff is available the entire day to handle complaints: 800-253-3931, or at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.
- For accessibility issues at a polling place, use the toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY), or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website, at https://www.ada.gov/.
Election Protection coalition
The national, nonpartisan is also ready to help with staffed voter hotlines in English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Bengali, Hindi, Urdu, and Tagalog. Those election hotline numbers, staffed all day Tuesday, are:
- ENGLISH: 866-OUR-VOTE866-687-8683
- SPANISH/ENGLISH: 888-VE-Y-VOTA888-839-8682
- ASIAN LANGUAGES/ENGLISH: 888-API-VOTE888-274-8683
- ARABIC/ENGLISH: 844-YALLA-US844-925-5287
The FBI is also ready to respond and has a good primer on what an election crime is.
FindLaw has a good refresher on your voting rights and how to protect them. It’s great information to have on hand—not only for yourself, but if you see violations at the polls directed at others.
Have a great day voting and getting out the vote. Stay safe. Stay positive. Vote. Make this a better country.
At long last, the 2022 midterms are almost here! With the battle for the House front and center, we give you a window into the key races on a final pre-election episode of The Downballot. We discuss a wide range of contests that will offer insight into how the night is going, including top GOP pickup opportunities, second-tier Republican targets, and the seats where Democrats are on offense. And with many vote tallies likely to stretch on for some time, we also identify several bellwether races in states that count quickly.