Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
1401 New York Avenue, NW
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20005

For Immediate Release
Contacts:
Kim Alton
(202) 662-8600
November 8, 2006

Thousands Call Election Protection Voter Hotline
Civil Rights Groups Appeal Maryland Absentee Ballot Deadline

(Washington, DC) - The Election Protection Coalition reported over 20,000 calls on Monday and Tuesday to its voter assistance hotline 1-866-OUR-VOTE. The greatest number of calls to the hotline came from Ohio, Georgia, California, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Maryland.

Confusion about voter identification requirements, machine malfunctions, misuse of provisional ballots, and poorly trained poll workers were among the range of commonly voiced complaints. In addition, the Election Protection Coalition received complaints about deceptive campaign practices and voter suppression efforts in Maryland, Texas, and California.

“Election Protection has demonstrated that the widespread deterioration of our electoral infrastructure, demands meaningful change,” said Barbara R. Arnwine, Executive Director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights. “The continued use of deceptive flyers and robo calls in this election, underscores the need for legislation that will criminalize this appalling behavior. The reported problems this election cycle, make the case for federal and state electoral reform.”

In Maryland, a broad coalition of nonpartisan civil rights groups, led by the Lawyers' Committee, has appealed a trial judge's refusal to order the State of Maryland to count absentee ballots postmarked on election day. Anne Arundel County Circuit Judge Joseph Manck on Monday upheld a State rule that all ballots must be mailed the day before the election, even though the State had not sent the ballots to potentially thousands of voters in time for them to meet the deadline. The coalition anticipates that the Maryland Court of Appeals is likely to hear the appeal next Monday, prior to the final canvas of the absentee ballots.

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Election Protection has operated in every election cycle since 2001, and is the nation's most far-reaching nonpartisan effort to provide voter assistance and protect voter rights.


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