The American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota has set up a hotline to respond to complaints of voting rights infringements across the state on Election Day.
Voters who experience voting rights violations or have problems at the polls are encouraged to call the ACLU’s hotline at 605-368-0644. The statewide hotline will operate from 7am-8pm CST on Nov. 6.
ACLU of South Dakota executive director Heather Smith says the right to vote is essential to our democracy. She says elected officials may hold the cards, but as voters, we hold the power. To deny any eligible voter that opportunity is to undermine the fundamental freedoms that define who we are as a nation.
In addition to the Election Day Voter Hotline, the ACLU of South Dakota has published Know Your Rights voting information in English, Spanish and Arabic. Brochures are available to download at www.aclusd.org. The information also is available in braille by request.
The ACLU is particularly concerned about these problems on Election Day:
- Denying voters access to provisional ballots when they are eligible to receive them
- Problems with voting machines, including human errors and technology-related problems
- Efforts to have voters produce identification or proof of citizenship when not required by law
- Voter harassment or intimidation, including signs of bias among poll workers
- Efforts to tamper with voting machines
