The U.S. Department of Justice recently announced it has updated www.justice.gov/voting, a one-stop resource providing voting and elections information for voters as well as state and local elections officials.
As part of the update, the Civil Rights Division published two new informational guides on voting rights and updated five other guides.
The department’s longstanding practice is to update resources and provide information in election years on the efforts of the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Division, National Security Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country, to ensure that all qualified voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots and have their votes counted free of discrimination, intimidation, or criminal activity in the election process, and to ensure that our elections are secure and free from foreign malign influence and interference.
Over the coming months additional resources will be published.
“The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy, the right from which all others flow,” said Attorney General Merrick Garland. “The Justice Department is using every available authority to defend that right, both from efforts to undermine voting rights and from efforts to threaten and intimidate those who administer our elections. These updated resources will help voters understand their rights and assist public officials in fulfilling their duties.”
The new guides issued last Thursday include one on Voter Intimidation Under Federal Law, discussing the prohibition on threats, obstruction, or deliberately false information about the time, manner, or place of voting to prevent people from casting their ballots or participating in the electoral process.
The Department has prepared a short video explaining how to report such misconduct.
The second new guide addresses Voting Protections for Language Minority Citizens under Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act. Section 203 mandates language assistance to enable certain people with limited English proficiency to participate effectively in all phases of the electoral process.
Along with the two new guides, the Department updated five existing guides on the Justice Department website. The Department updated its guide on The Americans with Disabilities Act and Other Federal Laws Protecting the Rights of Voters with Disabilities. This guide describes the legal protections designed to allow equal access to every aspect of elections, including registration and voting, for people with disabilities. The Department also revised its Guidance Under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act for redistricting and methods of electing government bodies. Another update addressed Federal Law Constraints on Post-Election “Audits.” In addition, the Department updated its Guidance Concerning Federal Statutes Affecting Methods of Voting. Along with these revisions, the Department updated information on how to request Federal Election Monitors in a jurisdiction.
These guides on voting laws are just a few of the many resources the Department has made available on its website to help people exercise this foundational right and to assist public officials in fulfilling their duties. Other such resources include a brochure entitled Know Your Voting Rights, a 50-state Guide to State Voting Rules that Apply After a Criminal Conviction, explanations of the rights of voters with disabilities, including guides on Ballot Drop Box Accessibility, Solutions for Five Common ADA Access Problems at Polling Places, and How to File an ADA Complaint, and web pages addressing the voting rights of members of the armed services and U.S. citizens living overseas, the National Voter Registration Act, and the Help America Vote Act.
The www.justice.gov/voting website also provides information on the Department’s Election Threats Task Force, which leads the Department’s efforts to address violence against election workers and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation.
The public can report suspected criminal activity regarding voting to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or by filing an online complaint at tips.fbi.gov. Citizens can also contact local law enforcement. To report possible civil rights violations, visit www.civilrights.justice.gov/report or call 1-800-253-3931.
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