#WGRVOTES Voter Rights and Protections 101 Guide

The 2022 Midterm Elections are less than a week away! Voting is at the core of free and fair elections and protecting those exercising their constitutional right is integral for a functional American democracy. WGR encourages all members to participate in the voting process and let their voices be heard, and it is imperative that all voters be free to do so without fear of harassment or violence.

Some reminders below related to voter rights and protections:

• If polls close while you are waiting in line, you have the right to cast your vote.
• If you make a mistake on your ballot, you may ask for a new one.
• If the voter machines are down at your polling place, you have the right to ask for a paper ballot.
• Intimidation is a form of harassment and has no place in the voting process.
• Polling places are a workplace for many volunteers. Workplace harassment is unacceptable regardless of venue.
  

For questions and resources:

866Our Vote – Election Protection: Trained non-partisan Election Protection poll monitors at polling places are available to help voters with a variety of questions ranging from accessibility to requirements to vote.

866 Our Vote Resources – For information on: Registering to vote; voting in your particular state; voting by mail/absentee ballots; getting to the polls; and information for poll workers, election officials and election administration.

ACLU: Know your rights; Voting Rights: Learn more about how to exercise your voting rights, resist voter intimidation efforts, and access disability-related accommodations and language assistance at the polls. For help at the polls, call the non-partisan Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

If you need assistance or have any questions on Election Day, call the Election Protection Hotline:

• English: 1-866-OUR-VOTE / 1-866-687-8683
• Spanish: 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA / 1-888-839-8682
• Arabic: 1-844-YALLA-US / 1-844-925-5287
• For Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Urdu, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, or Vietnamese: 1-888-274-8683

Justia: Voting Leave Laws for Employees: 50-State Survey: Learn more about voting leave laws for employees by state (and district) — Are you entitled to voting leave? If so, how much? Is your potential leave likely to be paid or not? — and other information.

SHRM: State Laws: Time Off to Vote (Nov 8): SHRM examines state laws guarantee time off to vote, employer obligations, charts, and toolkits.

#WGRVOTES

Prepared by members of WGR’s Workplace Anti-Harassment Committee. Members are invited to join committee meetings the last Friday of every month to discuss the range of harassment in the workplace, access to resources, and provide a supportive community. Check the WGR event calendar for upcoming dates and to RSVP.