Know Your Rights: Voter Intimidation

Examples of voter intimidation

• Aggressively questioning voters about their citizenship, criminal record, or other qualifications to vote.
• Falsely representing oneself as an elections official.
• Displaying false or misleading signs about voter fraud and related criminal penalties.
• Other forms of harassment, particularly harassment targeting non-English speakers and voters of color.
• Spreading false information about voter requirements.
  • You do not need to speak English to vote, in any state.
  • You do not need to pass a test to vote, in any state.
  • Some states do not require voters to present photo identification.

Your rights

• It’s illegal to intimidate voters and a federal crime to “intimidate, threaten, [or] coerce … any other person for the purpose of interfering with the right of [that] other person to vote or to vote as he may choose.”

What to do if you experience voter intimidation

• In many states, you can give a sworn statement to the poll worker that you satisfy the qualifications to vote in your state, and then proceed to cast a ballot.
• Report intimidation to the Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE or 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (en Español).
• Report intimidation to your local election officials. Their offices will be open on Election Day.