SAN ANTONIO – As a registered voter in Texas, you are entitled to a lot of things. Yes, even more than just a sticker and selfie opportunity.
You may not realize it, but voting can be a challenging experience for some, especially if it’s their first time at the polls, they have a disability or even if politics just stresses them out.
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So, what’s a voter to do?
According to the Texas Secretary of State’s office, all voters are protected under certain unalienable rights.
The American Civil Liberties Union, says every voter has the right to cast their vote in a secret manner free of intimidation, but what does that mean?
The nonprofit says it is "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.”
Here are a few examples of voter intimidation from the nonprofit’s website.
- Aggressively questioning voters about their citizenship, criminal record, or other qualifications to vote.
- Falsely representing oneself as an election 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.
What should I do if I witness voter intimidation?
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.
According to the Texas Election Division’s website, registered voters in Texas are entitled to the following rights on election day:
- A ballot with written instructions on how to cast a ballot.
- Ask the polling place official for instructions on how to cast a ballot (but not suggestions on how to vote).
- Cast your vote in secret and free from intimidation.
- Receive up to two more ballots if you make a mistake while marking the ballot.
- Bring an interpreter to assist you as you qualify to vote if you do not understand the English language.
- Help to cast your ballot if you cannot write, see the ballot, or understand the language in which it is written.
- Report a possible voting rights abuse to the Secretary of State (1.800.252.8683) or to your local election official.
- Cast a provisional ballot if your name does not appear on the list of registered voters.
- (1) Cast a provisional ballot (a) if you do not possess one of the seven (7) acceptable forms of photo identification, which, if you are under 70, is not expired for more than four years, and you can reasonably obtain one of these forms of identification or (b) if you possess, but did not bring to the polling place, one of the seven forms of acceptable photo identification, which, if you are under 70, is not expired for more than four years, or (c) if you do not possess one of the seven forms of acceptable photo identification, which, if you are under 70, is not expired for more than four years, you could otherwise not reasonably obtain one, but you did not bring a supporting form of identification to the polling place, and (2) the right to present one of the acceptable forms of photo identification, which, if you are under 70, is not expired for more than four years, or, if you do not possess and cannot reasonably obtain an acceptable form of photo identification, the right to execute a reasonable impediment declaration and present one of the supporting forms of identification, to the county voter registrar’s office, within six (6) calendar days after election day, or, if applicable, qualify for a temporary (natural disaster or religious objection to being photographed) or permanent (disability) exemption, within six (6) calendar days of election day, at the county voter registrar’s office.
- Vote once at any early voting location during the early voting period within the territory conducting the election.
- File an administrative complaint with the Secretary of State concerning violations of federal and state voting procedures.
Read more from KSAT’s Vote 2020 page: