NY Attorney General Seeks to Limit Voter Eligibility Challenges

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is pushing legislation intended to limit baseless challenges to voter eligibility at the polls on Election Day.

Under current law, challenged voters are required to recite an oath affirming their right to vote to an election inspector.

Legislation introduced by Assemblyman Karim Camara at Schneiderman's request would require those challenging someone's eligibility to provide a factual basis for doing it and attest to their right to challenge.

According to the attorney general, those requirements exist for challenges at voter registration and should apply at polling places.

Schneiderman's office says it has received numerous complaints to a statewide hotline about baseless challenges inside polling places.

Many of those challenged were African-Americans, Latinos and minority-language speakers.