• Polling places are generally under the jurisdiction of state governmentsvote america image by Pix by Marti from Fotolia.com
  
  Laws regarding polling places are generally under the jurisdiction of state governments; however, there are several voting rights acts imposed by federal law with which the states must comply. These federal laws generally apply to the civil rights of voters. Voters can check with their Secretaries of State for specific regulations regarding their local polling place.
  
  

Discrimination

• The Voting Rights Act of 1965 required polling places to be accessible to alldancing people image by amlet from Fotolia.com
  
  The federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibits all kinds of racial discrimination in the voting process. It makes redistricting that divides up minority communities in order to "dilute" the community's ability to elect minority candidates, illegal. Prior to 1965, many voting district boundaries were drawn so that minority communities were split, making it difficult for them to garner enough votes in their "diluted" districts to elect the candidate of their choice. The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 is another federal law prohibiting discrimination at polling places. It requires that all polling places, as well as the parking lots at polling places, be easily accessible to citizens with physical disabilities.
  
  

Literacy Tests

• All registered voters have the right to voteresult image by BlueMiniu from Fotolia.com
  
  The Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibited states from requiring voters to take a language comprehension, or any other type of test, at their polling place in order to be allowed to vote.
  
  

Electioneering

• Some states prohibit voters from wearing campaign apparel at the pollsus shirt men 3 image by chrisharvey from Fotolia.com
  
  Any attempt to influence voters at a polling place is prohibited. In some states, this includes the wearing of campaign apparel. Some states require that the voter put a jacket over a campaign t-shirt or remove any campaign buttons; some states allow campaign apparel to be worn inside-out. At least one county in California requires voters wearing campaign apparel to put on paper smocks, which are provided by the polling place.
  
  

Cell Phones

• Many states will not allow the use of electronic devices at polling placesman with laptop and phone image by GeoM from Fotolia.com
  
  All states allow polling officials to communicate by phone in order to carry out their duties. However, some states prohibit the use of "electronic devices," which include cell phones, by the voters at polling places.
  
  

Voting Machines

• The number of voting machines at each polling place is determined by the statestick 4 image by chrisharvey from Fotolia.com
  
  Laws differ from state to state as to how many voting machines are required in each polling place. Some states, like Ohio, require at least one machine for every 175 registered voters; others, such as Virginia, requires only one machine per 750 registered voters.
  
  

Hours of Operation

• Some polling places have long lines when turn-out is heavystanding in line image by Antonio Oquias from Fotolia.com
  
  Citizens who are in line to vote when the polls are set to close must be allowed to vote. However, some states require that these voters be given a "provisional ballot," which is counted later than regular ballots.