ACLU of Virginia and NAACP Announce Election Day Hotlines and "Voter Empowerment Cards"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: media@aclu.org

RICHMOND, Va. — The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia and the Virginia State Conference of the NAACP have established hotlines for voters who run into problems on Election Day and are distributing informational cards describing voters’ rights at the polls. The cards are available in English and Spanish.

The decision to inform voters of their rights and to provide assistance stems from the experiences of the NAACP and the ACLU in recent years.

Voters from across the state routinely complain that they have been turned away from polling places because they do not have identification with them. Under Virginia law, voters do not need to be carrying identification when they show up at the polls, although such voters may be asked to sign an affirmation of identity form.

Many voters who have registered at the DMV have discovered on Election Day that their applications were not processed in time to vote, and voter registrars sometimes make mistakes. All voters have a right to cast a provisional ballot on Election Day even if their names are not on the voter rolls. It will later be determined if they were properly registered.

In recent years, the ACLU has received complaints from voters who were sent home because they were wearing buttons or t-shirts with political messages. While Virginia election law prohibits “electioneering” in polling places, this refers only to attempts to persuade voters to take a stand for or against something currently on the ballot.

The double-sided, pocket-sized “voter empowerment” cards inform voters of their rights under Virginia law. The hotline will enable voters to contact someone at the NAACP or the ACLU on Election Day if they feel they have been illegally denied the right to vote. The NAACP hotline number is (804) 321-5678; The ACLU number is (804) 644-8080.

Voter empowerment cards in English and Spanish can be downloaded at www.acluva.org and are available at the ACLU of Virginia and NAACP offices. As long as supplies last, large lots of cards can be ordered by groups for distribution on Election Day. Mail orders should be made by calling (804) 644-8080 or sending an email to acluva@acluva.org prior to the close of business on Wednesday, October 31, 2007.