What to do if you're turned away at the polls

-Source-CNN-

Here's something scary: Even if you have the legal right to vote and have done everything to prepare yourself for Election Day, you could still be turned away at the polls.

In recent years, almost two dozen US states have implemented laws that impose new restrictions on voting, which critics say disproportionally affect minority voters.The stricter laws stem from a 2013 Supreme Court decision that struck down parts of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which required the approval of the Justice Department before states made any changes to their voting laws.

In the last five years at least 23 states have placed restrictions on voting by closing polling places, cutting early voting, purging ineligible voters from electoral rolls and imposing stricter voter ID laws, reports the federal Commission on Civil Rights.With midterm elections around the corner and early voting already underway, it can be a tricky situation for thousands who are just looking to legally exercise their civic right as American citizens.But no matter what unexpected issues you encounter at your polling place, there are ways to make sure your vote gets in safely. Here are some tips.

Know your state's registration deadline

First, it's time to confirm the basics: Your registration status and your polling location. A polling locator website can help you double check both of those.Check your polling place and registration status hereIf you're not registered, you should check your state's registration deadline requirement ASAP. While some registration deadlines have passed, 16 states allow for Election Day registration and other states have deadlines that stop short of November 6th.Check your state's registration deadline here

Update your information

Some states have enacted extremely tight policies when it comes to voter information. Proponents of these policies say it's to curb voter fraud, but critics say it's an effort to suppress voters by calling out irrelevant, technical mismatches.📷People cast their ballots during early voting October 25, 2018 in Potomac, Maryland.Georgia's "exact match" policy, for instance, requires your voter application to exactly mirror Social Security Administration data or the state's Department of Driver Services information. That means if there is ANY discrepancy between your names -- a shortened version of a name or a misspelling or different last name, you could run into issues.Have you moved lately? Make sure your address is updated, as this is another discrepancy that could stop you from voting. Read more