Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced that her office will have prosecutors and investigators available to address voting-relating issues on Nov. 6 for the general election and reminded registered voters of their rights to cast a ballot.
“We have seen efforts to manipulate elections in Nassau County before, and we have no tolerance for any kind of unlawful interference,” DA Singas said “Working with our partners, we will vigorously investigate and prosecute anyone who attempts to deprive voters and candidates the fair process they deserve.”
On Election Day, the District Attorney’s Public Corruption Bureau will be on call at (516) 571-2100 and via email at electionprotection@nassauda.org. DA staff will collaborate with the Nassau County Board of Elections, Nassau County Police Department, and the New York State Attorney General’s Office to ensure complaints of voter intimidation, disenfranchisement, or voter fraud are promptly investigated.
Singas offered the following reminders to voters:
- Voters can check their registration, polling place, and election district online at https://voterlookup.elections.state.ny.us.
- While New York voters are not required to present identification in most circumstances, if you registered by mail to vote in New York for the first time and did not verify your identity, you may be asked to provide some form of ID, which can include a New York driver’s license, state ID card, a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or government document that shows your name and address when you registered.
- If you are registered to vote but your name does not appear in the voter roll in the election district in which you are registered, you are entitled to complete an affidavit or provisional ballot. This ballot will only be counted, however, if you are properly registered in the election district where you cast your affidavit ballot.
- Registered voters with disabilities can vote with the assistance of a person of their choosing (except employers or labor union representatives), or with the help of two election inspectors, each from a different party.
- Under New York law, voters are entitled to up to two hours of paid time off in order to vote if their work schedule otherwise prevents them from voting in person while the polls are open. To exercise this right, you must tell your employer that you need time off to vote not more than 10 but not less than two days before the election. [See more here]
- New York law allows domestic violence victims who obtain a court order from NY Supreme Court in the county where they are registered to have their voter registration record kept separate and apart from other registration records and not be made available for inspection or copying by the public. Victims can also be excused from going to obtain a special ballot and avoid going to their polling place to vote.
For any questions regarding voter registration, procedures, polling locations, and election regulations, please contact the Nassau County Board of Elections at (516) 571-2411.
The District Attorney’s office has received and investigated allegations of voter intimidation and unlawful voter disenfranchisement in recent elections. Earlier this year, a county employee and poll worker was charged in connection with alleged unlawful placement of marked sample ballots last year’s Republican primary election. That case remains pending.
