The Chautauqua County Board of Elections and Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office are warning residents about reports of a “Voter Integrity” group.
The Board of Election posted on their website a message saying that any individuals claiming to verify voting information for the November 8, 2022 General Election are not in any way related to or employed by the Chautauqua County Board of Elections.
They said there are reports of a ‘voter integrity’ group going door to door and these individuals are not part of regular election activities.
The Chautauqua County BOE emphasized that all voters who are registered by October 14, as election law specifies, are eligible to vote in the November 8, 2022 General Election.
ID is not required in New York State and proof of identity is your signature comparison at the poll site. If you have moved and not notified the Board of Elections, you can still go to your new poll site where you will be required to vote via Provisional Affidavit Ballot.
State Attorney General Letitia James has also issued guidance to local Boards of Election (BOEs) and law enforcement agencies on how to combat voter intimidation and ensure voters’ rights are protected leading into the November 2022 general election.
Under state and federal law, voter intimidation is illegal.
James also sent guidance to local Board of Elections on managing long lines and supporting voters with disabilities at high traffic poll sites. More than 20% of New Yorkers have a disability.
The Office of the Attorney General cites the following conduct as potentially constituting as illegal voter intimidation:
– Individuals or groups patrolling outside of polling places and trying to scare people out of the voting line;
– Civilians dressing as law enforcement officers and harassing voters at poll sites;
– Poll watchers inside a polling place engaging in aggressive behavior or challenging large groups of voters, leading to long lines and creating false fears that people may be illegally voting;
– Poll watchers standing in the vicinity of privacy booths, standing in unauthorized areas, videotaping and/or photographing voters within the polling place, following or harassing voters in the polling place;
– Individuals spreading false rumors or making false statements that there are negative consequences to voting; and
– Individuals or groups displaying weapons or military uniforms or other military paraphernalia outside of polling locations.
Attorney General James also noted that federal law has determined that voter intimidation includes threatening violence against voters, threatening economic boycotts due to voting, and following voters to poll sites and speaking loudly about prosecuting them for illegal voting.
Additionally, publicly disseminating voters’ names and addresses, or “doxing,” to vilify those individuals or conducting patterns of baseless arrests and prosecutions in the vicinity of voter registration meetings are voter intimidation actions.
The OAG also reminds New Yorkers that the following actions are prohibited under New York state law:
– Requiring an individual to show photo ID to vote;
– State and local employees interfering with or affecting the election;
– Open carry of handguns, or the possession of machine guns and loaded or unloaded assault weapons, as well as the use of firearms or other dangerous instruments to intimidate or harass;
– A member of the United States armed forces preventing, or attempting to prevent, a voter from fully exercising their voting rights through force, threat, intimidation, or advice;
– Groups of people organizing as private militias without permission from the state; and
– Invading the privacy of a voting booth used by a voter.
Additionally, the guidance emphasizes that media and press are allowed to film or take pictures of individuals in the polling place if they have written authorization from BOE and permission from each individual.
New York law does not require the same accommodations for every voter with a disability, so OAG recommends BOEs instruct poll workers to determine the appropriate accommodations on an individualized basis.
New Yorkers who observe any illegal conduct are encouraged to contact OAG’s Election Protection Hotline by calling (866) 390-2992.
Residents also may call the Chautauqua County Board of Elections at 716-753-4580 .
Any emergencies or incidents involving potentially dangerous conduct should be reported to local law enforcement immediately by calling 911.
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