What to Do If You See ICE or Intimidation at a Polling Place

1. Tell a Poll Worker Immediately: Notify the chief election judge or poll inspector inside the voting location right away. Poll workers have the authority to enforce buffer zones and call local election officials to remove unauthorized disruption.
2. Call Election Protection (866-687-8683): Call while you are still near the scene so legal monitors can dispatch rapid-response attorneys and contact your county board of elections.
3. Document Where, When, and What Happened: Write down or safely record the exact polling site name and address, the time of day, agency vest markings or badge numbers, vehicle license plates, and what actions the agents or individuals took. Check your state's rules before filming inside a voting room, as many states prohibit photography inside the ballot area while permitting filming from the public sidewalk outside.
4. Never Leave Without Casting a Ballot: If there is any dispute over your registration or eligibility at the check-in table, demand a provisional ballot under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and report the issue to 866-687-8683.

National Election Protection Hotlines (Voter Intimidation & Poll Issues)

If you encounter voter intimidation, federal immigration agents near a ballot box, broken machines, illegal ID demands, or poll worker turn-aways, call or text these free, nonpartisan legal hotlines immediately:

• English Hotline (Call or Text): 1-866-687-8683 (866-OUR-VOTE) | Website: https://866ourvote.org/
• Spanish / English Hotline (Call or Text): 1-888-839-8682 (888-VE-Y-VOTA) | Website: https://veyvota.org/
• Asian Languages / English Hotline: 1-888-274-8683 (888-API-VOTE) | Website: https://apiavote.org/
• Arabic / English Hotline: 1-844-925-5287 (844-YALLA-US) | Website: https://yallavote.org/
• American Sign Language (ASL) Video Hotline: 301-818-8726 (operated by the National Association of the Deaf) | Website: https://nad.org/
• Disability Rights & Voting Access Hotline: 1-888-796-5627 (operated by the National Disability Rights Network) | Website: https://ndrn.org/

Voter ID Help & Free Transportation to the Polls

• VoteRiders (Free Voter ID Helpline & Legal Assistance):
  • Call or Text (English & Spanish): 1-866-432-8683 (866-ID-2-VOTE)
  • Website: https://www.voteriders.org/
  • What They Do: Provides free one-on-one help obtaining state-required voter ID, covers the cost of underlying documents (birth certificates, state ID fees), and arranges free rides to the DMV.
• RideShare2Vote (Free Rides to Polling Places):
  • Phone: 1-888-977-2250
  • Website: https://rideshare2vote.com/
  • What They Do: Offers free, safe round-trip rides to early voting sites and Election Day polling places, including wheelchair-accessible vehicles.

Official Voter Registration, Polling Place & Ballot Portals

• Can I Vote: (National Association of Secretaries of State):
  • Directs you straight to your official state election board to check registration status, find your exact polling place, and track your mail-in or provisional ballot.
• Vote.org (Nonpartisan Voter Hub):
  • Check registration, locate ballot drop boxes, view state ID rules, and sign up for election reminders.
• VOTE411 (League of Women Voters):
  • Enter your address to view a customized, nonpartisan sample ballot showing every candidate and ballot measure in your district.
• U.S. Government Official Voting Portal:
  • Official federal directory of state and local election offices.

Reporting Federal Civil Rights Violations & Armed Intimidation

Under federal law (18 U.S.C. § 594 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965), intimidating, threatening, or coercing any person to interfere with their right to vote is a federal crime. Furthermore, DHS policy regarding "protected areas" and federal statutes (18 U.S.C. § 592) restrict armed federal troops or officers from stationing themselves at polling places outside of genuine public safety emergencies.

• U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights Division - Voting Section:
  • Toll-Free Phone: 1-800-253-3931
  • Direct Phone: 202-307-2767
  • TTY: 202-305-0082
  • Online Civil Rights Reporting Portal
• **ACLU Voter Protection & Know Your Rights
• Brennan Center for Justice (Polling Place Intimidation Guides)