Polling Place GuideNew Haven, CT
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All topics · Topic 9 of 13 · Likely during any visit

Is voting information easy to find?

Voting Instructions and Notices

Federal law requires each polling place to post information on Election Day: a sample ballot, voting hours, how to vote, and voters' rights. Clear information helps people vote the way they mean to.

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An information wall at a polling place with posters for voting hours, how to mark your ballot, your rights as a voter, and a sample ballot. A wall with four large, simple posters arranged in a row. The first shows a clock and reads Polls open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. The second shows a filled oval and reads How to mark your ballot. The third shows a raised hand and reads Your rights as a voter. The fourth is labeled Sample ballot with grey placeholder lines instead of real text. A voter stands reading them, and a small table below holds pencils and a stack of plain instruction sheets.
Describe this illustration

A wall with four large, simple posters arranged in a row. The first shows a clock and reads Polls open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. The second shows a filled oval and reads How to mark your ballot. The third shows a raised hand and reads Your rights as a voter. The fourth is labeled Sample ballot with grey placeholder lines instead of real text. A voter stands reading them, and a small table below holds pencils and a stack of plain instruction sheets.

Things you may notice

Things you may notice about instructions and voter information.

  1. Voting instructions are displayed in a visible location.

    For example: A poster near the entrance or booths explains how to mark the ballot.

    Share an observation

    The law behind this: Help America Vote Act, Section 302: provisional voting and posted information · Connecticut election law (Title 9)

  2. Polling hours are posted or available from workers.

    For example: A sign says the polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

    Share an observation

    The law behind this: Help America Vote Act, Section 302: provisional voting and posted information · Connecticut election law (Title 9)

  3. Voter-rights information is displayed.

    For example: A notice explains the right to a provisional ballot, to assistance, and how to report a problem.

    Share an observation

    The law behind this: Help America Vote Act, Section 302: provisional voting and posted information

  4. Instructions explain how to mark and cast a ballot.

    For example: Instructions show how to fill in the oval and feed the ballot into the tabulator.

    Share an observation

    The law behind this: Help America Vote Act, Section 302: provisional voting and posted information · Help America Vote Act, Section 301: voting system standards

  5. Workers can answer questions about the voting process without suggesting a candidate.

    For example: Asked 'What does this question mean?', the worker explains what the ballot question decides, not how to vote on it.

    Share an observation

    The law behind this: Help America Vote Act, Section 302: provisional voting and posted information · Voting Rights Act, Section 11(b): no intimidation

Notice something different? Write down what you personally saw or heard, including the time and location. You can ask an election official for help.

Why it matters

Posted notices are the one part of the law anyone can check in thirty seconds. If they are missing, a quick word to the moderator usually fixes it.

What one visit cannot tell you

  • Whether every required notice is present in every required language. Note which notices you saw and where.
  • Whether a notice was posted earlier and fell down. Note the time you looked.
In Connecticut
What the law actually says

Section 302(b) of the Help America Vote Act (52 U.S.C. § 21082(b)) requires voting information to be posted at each polling place on Election Day: a sample ballot, the date and hours, instructions on how to vote and how to cast a provisional ballot, instructions for first-time mail registrants, general information on voting rights and how to contact officials about violations, and information on laws against fraud and misrepresentation.

Related legal authorities
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