If someone threatens, intimidates, or appears to improperly challenge a voter, report it to the local election office. If there is violence, a threat of violence, or intimidation at a polling place, call 911 first; then report the incident to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights Division Voting Section at 1-800-253-3931 or through its online reporting form. The right route depends on urgency and what happened, and voter-challenge rules vary by state and locality.
Where to report voter intimidation or a questionable challenge
Choose the route that can address the immediate need. Election officials handle election administration, police respond to emergencies, and DOJ can receive reports of possible federal voting-rights violations.
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| Route | Use it for | How to reach it |
|---|---|---|
| Local election office or poll worker | On-site concerns about a challenge, interference, or how a voting process is being handled. | Contact the local election office or alert a poll worker. If the local contact is unclear, use the relevant state or territorial election office. USAGov lists election-office contacts and the DOJ Voting Section for voting-rights concerns: usa.gov/voter-rights. |
| 911 and local police | Violence, a threat of violence, or intimidation at a polling place. | Call 911 first and follow local law enforcement instructions. DOJ directs people to contact law enforcement before reporting an emergency to the department: justice.gov/voting/resources. |
| DOJ Civil Rights Division Voting Section | Reports of voting-rights violations, including intimidation or suppression. | Call 1-800-253-3931 or submit a report online through the DOJ voting resources page: justice.gov/voting/resources. |
| Local FBI office or U.S. Attorney’s Office | Possible election crimes or suspected criminal activity. | Use the official FBI and U.S. Attorney contact pages to find the appropriate office and confirm current contact details: FBI field offices and U.S. Attorney’s Offices. DOJ also describes federal election-crime reporting options in its guide: Election Crimes. |
What to do, in order
- Deal with immediate danger. If someone is violent, threatens violence, or intimidates voters at a polling place, call 911. Follow law enforcement instructions; after alerting local police, report the incident to DOJ if appropriate.
- Notify election officials promptly. Tell a poll worker or contact the local election office so administrators can respond to what is happening at the site. If you cannot identify the local route, contact your state or territorial election office.
- Make a factual report. Explain what you saw or experienced without guessing at motives or legal conclusions. Include the details below if you know them.
- Preserve relevant information safely. Keep notes, messages, or documents that relate to the incident. Do not put yourself or a voter at risk to collect material.
- Use additional routes when they fit the situation. A local election office, DOJ, and law enforcement have different roles; contacting one does not make the others interchangeable.
What information to include in a report
Give the receiving office enough detail to understand what happened and what response may be needed. California’s election guidance asks administrators to describe intimidation, disruption, or an unauthorized challenge and record whether and how the issue was resolved; those are useful reporting details, not a universal federal form or evidence rule. See the California Secretary of State’s September 27, 2024 guidance.
- Date, approximate time, and location.
- The words, actions, or instructions you observed, described as specifically as you can.
- The person’s role, if known, and any witnesses you can identify.
- Whether a voter was delayed, prevented from voting, or otherwise affected.
- What election officials or law enforcement did in response, and whether the issue appeared to be resolved.
How to tell an improper challenge from an observer’s presence
Seeing a poll watcher at a polling place does not, by itself, establish wrongdoing. The Election Assistance Commission distinguishes poll watchers, who observe election processes, from challengers. Some jurisdictions allow challenges to voter eligibility or ballot validity, but state and local law determines who may challenge, when, on what grounds, and how officials must handle the challenge. The EAC explains the distinction in its poll-watcher guidance.
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Report conduct that appears to interfere with voting or violate local procedures to election officials rather than trying to settle the legal question yourself. DOJ’s federal-law guide says federal law prohibits intimidation, threats, and coercion throughout the voting process; its materials also address threats, obstruction, and deliberately false information about when, where, or how to vote when intended to prevent participation. Whether a particular incident violates a law depends on the facts and applicable law. See DOJ’s federal election-crimes guidance and its announcement about updated voting-rights materials, “Justice Department Launches Updated Voting Rights and Elections Website”.
Recording and preserving evidence without adding risk
Keep contemporaneous notes and relevant messages or documents. Do not assume that recording is permitted inside a voting location: the reviewed national guidance does not establish one recording rule for every jurisdiction. Follow local rules and election officials’ instructions, and do not record or gather material if doing so could endanger you or a voter.
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State procedures can differ: California example
California illustrates why local rules matter; its September 27, 2024 guidance addressed voter intimidation and prohibited voter challenges and asked election administrators to document the activity and its resolution. It directed Californians whose voting rights were denied to contact their county election official or the state hotline at 800-345-VOTE (8683). This is a California-specific example, not a national procedure. Check the state’s current election information before relying on the number or guidance operationally.
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Check current contacts before you report
Phone numbers, reporting forms, and local procedures can change. USAGov’s voter-rights page was marked updated February 25, 2026; the DOJ voting-resources page provides its current reporting information. Check the relevant official page for current contacts, especially near an election.
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