Suffolk NYCLU > Voting Rights

Voting Rights

The right to vote, and to have one's vote accurately and fairly counted, is as fundamental a right as we have in this country. In 1965, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act, one of the most effective civil rights laws ever enacted. The Act immediately outlawed the worst Jim Crow laws in the South, such as literacy tests and other devices that kept black citizens out of the voting booth.

Today, however, the hard won gains of the civil rights movement, and the Voting Rights Act, are in danger of being extinguished. It is now abundantly clear, for instance, that this precious right was repeatedly violated in the much contested Presidential election of 2000. In the state of Florida and at polling booths across the country, flaws in the voting system disproportionately affected people of color, effectively excluding them from the voting process.

"Our constitutional democracy rests on certain core principles," says the ACLU’s Nadine Strossen. "Every vote should be counted accurately, every vote should be counted equally, and no one should be denied the right to vote based on the color of his or her skin.

What You Need to Know - For Suffolk County Voters

1). You must be registered to vote. You can call 1-800-FOR-VOTE to request a voter application.

2). Polling places will open at 6:00am and close at 9:00pm.

3). Completed absentee ballots must be postmarked by November 1st and received by November 9th.

4).Due to new election law, you MIGHT have to show identification at the polling place. This will be the case ONLY if you meet all three of the following categories:
a). You registered by mail after January 1, 2003.
b). You have never voted in a federal election in Suffolk County.
c). When registering, you did not provide a driver's/non-driver's license identification number OR a social security number OR a copy of a current and valid photo ID OR a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck OR a government document showing your name and address.

5). If identification is required, you will need to provide one of the identification methods in 4c (driver's license, etc).

6). If you do not have identification or your name is not on the voting rolls, you still have the RIGHT to request and fill out an affidavit ballot.

7). In rare circumstances, another voter will challenge your right to vote even if you are registered correctly. If challenged, you can request the "challenge oath," and you will then be permitted to vote.

8). If you need help in the voting booth because of a physical disability or because you cannot read the ballot, tell a poll worker. You can have anyone you choose help you in the voting booth, including a poll worker, as long as the person is not your employer, an agent of your employer, or an officer or agent of your union.

9). You have the right to take time off to vote, without loss of pay for up to two hours, if you would not otherwise be able to vote and you notify your employer at least two working days in advance.

10). To avoid any problems, we suggest that you bring one of the identification methods identified in 4c (driver's license, etc) regardless of how you registered, that you show up early to avoid the last minute rush, and that you ask for help if needed.