New York State Attorney General's Pre-Election Advisory on Voter Intimidation and the Right to Vote
By: Joseph T. Burns
In anticipation of the start of early voting on Saturday, New York State Attorney General Letitia James, on October 22, 2024, put out an advisory to local election officials on the right to vote and voter intimidation.
Included in this advisory from the Attorney General is a list of conduct that constitutes voter intimidation under state and/or federal law. The Attorney General’s advisory also states what law enforcement may and may not do at the polls on Election Day.
The AG’s advisory also discusses the powers and responsibilities of poll watchers, including where poll watchers may go in a poll site, how watchers are appointed, and what poll watchers may and may not do while in a poll site.
The Attorney General’s advisory can be accessed here.
As early voting begins, candidates, campaigns, party leaders and activists should be mindful of what they can and cannot do under state and federal law.
