NYS Board Of Elections Warns About Misleading Voting Place Texts

NEW YORK — The state board of elections is concerned that an outside group is trying to keep voters from freely casting their ballots in New York.

The NYS Board of Elections said on Monday that it has received reports of voters across the state receiving unsolicited text messages in the past few days from a group that is providing incorrect poll site information for Tuesday’s Primary Election.

The board is reminding voters that the best place to get information about elections and voting is directly from the NYS Board of Elections and the County Boards of Elections. Voters are urged to visit the board’s voter lookup application to find their Election Day poll site and to not rely on text messages for that information.

The State Board of Elections joined the National Association of Secretaries of State's (NASS) #TrustedInfo2024 campaign earlier this year to encourage voters to go directly to election officials for timely, credible information about elections, rather than relying on outside groups.

The board says that this incident underscores the importance of that effort this year.

"We encourage voters to contact the Board of Elections for any questions about voting and polling places," Co-Executive Director of the State Board of Elections, Kristen Zebrowski Stavisky, said. "We want all eligible voters to cast their vote [Tuesday] and to feel confident doing so."

To provide information to voters, the NYS Board of Elections maintains an updated website, as well as social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X, to communicate with New Yorkers. Individuals may also sign up for email updates from the board.

"The safest choice is to rely on election officials for correct and updated information," Raymond J. Riley III, Co-Executive Director of the State Board of Elections, said. "Voting is a fundamental right, and we do not want any confusion for voters [Tuesday] at the polls."

New York Attorney General Letitia James said the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) will make its Election Protection Hotline available for the primary election. The hotline will be available to troubleshoot and resolve issues encountered by voters, including issues with voting absentee, by early mail ballot, or in-person at their polling place.

"Access to the ballot box is the foundational right of our democracy," James said. "Our election protection hotline will be available to address challenges voters face and provide helpful guidance, regardless of whether they choose to vote early, by mail, or on election day. I am proud that my office continues to protect New Yorkers’ right to vote and encourage anyone experiencing problems to reach out to our hotline."

New Yorkers are protected from voter intimidation, deception, and obstruction under state and federal law. Attorney General James urges voters experiencing problems voting to call the OAG hotline at (866) 390-2992, or submit a complaint online to request assistance.

The telephone hotline will be open between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Election Day. The hotline will also be available on Wednesday, June 26 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. to help voters who need assistance following Election Day. Written requests for assistance may be submitted at any time through the online form. Hotline calls and written requests for assistance are processed by OAG attorneys and staff.

The OAG has operated its Election Protection Hotline since November 2012. During previous elections, the OAG fielded hundreds,and sometimes thousands, of complaints from voters across the state and worked with local election officials and others to address issues, according to the OAG. The OAG has also taken legal action to protect against voter registration purges and to ensure that voters have adequate and equitable access to vote early as required by law.

On Election Day, polls are required to be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., and if voters are in line before closing, they must be allowed to vote. In addition, all registered voters have the right to vote free from coercion or intimidation, whether by election officials or any other person.

The OAG said it will respond to election complaints relating to any of the statutes it enforces, including the newly operative New York Voting Rights Act.

Tuesday is the Primary Election for federal, state, and local level offices in New York. There is no statewide Primary Election this June. Therefore, not every municipality will have an election on Tuesday. Voters should contact their county board of elections with questions about elections in their area. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Contact information for County Boards can be found here.