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Studies show that people with disabilities are interested in government and public affairs and want to participate in the democratic process. But because they are often locked out of the polling booth they stay home on election day. Twenty-one percent of U.S. adults with disabilities—representing more than eight million potential voters—say they have been unable to vote in Presidential or Congressional elections due to barriers faced either at, or in getting to, the polls, according to a reccent Harris Interactive survey commissioned by N.O.D. (10/19/04)
The more we express our values and concerns through voting, the better our elected leaders will be able to represent us. Learn more about voting, voting rights and organize a get out the vote, voter or poll worker education program. or a polling place accessibility project in your community!
Let our voices be heard!
Use the links below to scroll down to what you want!
- People with Disabilities and Voting.
- Voting Laws.
- Voting in Michigan.
- Get out the Vote Resources.
- Polling Place Accessibility Resources.
- Other National Voting Rights Resources.
People with Disabilities and Voting:
Statistics:
- The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) estimates that while over 14 million voters with disabilities cast their vote in the 2000 presidential election, more than 21 million voting-aged people with disabilities did not cast a ballot.
- According to the United States census figures, among voters with disabilities more than 10 million are unable to vote because they have a visual impairment that makes it difficult or impossible to see print. These voters cannot cast a secret ballot; they must rely on family members, friends or even strangers to cast their vote for them. Thousands more people with other disabilities such as upper extremity limitations cannot make ballot selections either independently or privately.
- According to the Federal Election Commission, 20,000 of the nation's 120,000 polling places are physically inaccessible to voters with disabilities.
Web Resources:
- MyPollingPlace.com Is a single-database, national poll locator in the United States that also lets voters know the type of voting machine they will use and how to vote on that machine. MyPollingPlace.com results also pull in Map Quest directions for people new to an area. Also see link under "Voting in Michigan" for the Michigan Voter Information Center.
- LCCR
and LCCREF Offer Online Compendium of Voter Resources:
The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR) and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund (LCCREF) are pleased to announce a new online resource for voters. The One-Stop Shop for Voters is a compendium of online resources that help voters to: verify voter registration status; understand voting rights; find polling place and hours of operation; request an absentee ballot; research what candidates and issues will be on their ballot; find which voting system will be used to record votes; and know what to do if facing difficulty in voting.
The website also offers a list of actions that voters can take to help protect voting rights this November 2, and encourages concerned voters to volunteer as a poll monitor with the non-partisan Election Protection Coalition. - Voting Rights of People with Mental Disabilities.
- "No Right is More Precious”: .Voting Rights and People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
- People with Disabilities and Voting from the Center for an Accessible Society.
- Community Involvement: Political Participation from the National Association of People with Disabilities (NOD).
- Barriers Restrict Voting by People with Disabilities . Poll by Harris Harris Interactive® and NOD.
- League of Women Voters of Copper Country, Houghton, MI, Wins National Disability Award.
Voting Laws:
Help America Vote Act | Michigan Law | National Voter Registration Act | Americans with Disabilities Act .
Help America Vote Act (HAVA).
- Michigan's Application for HAVA funding.
- Federal Elections Commission- HAVA.
- A guide to HAVA from the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD).
- More HAVA information from AAPD's Project Vote.
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Michigan Law
MICHIGAN ELECTION LAW Act 116 of 1954
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National Voter Registration Act:
- National Voter Registration Act of 1993 "Motor Voter".
- Report on the impact of the National Voter Registration Act.
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The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA):
While polling places and operations are covered by the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), U.S. Justice Department guidance, settlement agreements, several Federal courts decisions, and recent letters of findings responding to specific access complaints do not assure the same access and privacy rights of people with disabilities as others have in the voting context.
Specifically, curbside and assisted voting are allowed under the ADA as is location of accessible polling places in sites other then those used by non-disabled voters. However, recent technological advances (i.e., touch screens) have changed dramatically how people with vision and upper extremity functional limits will be able to vote, thus ensuring that their privacy rights can be preserved.
Because counties nationwide are moving to replace their old systems in the wake of the Florida presidential election scandal, their obligation under the ADA to select a replacement system that is useable by voters with disabilities is likely to be significantly heightened, particularly because such equipment is now more readily available.
Several Justice Department letters of findings related to voting.
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Voting In Michigan:
- Registering and Voting in Michigan.
- Voter Information Center
from the State of Michigan:
View your ballot and election calendar, map your polling location, and find out how to use your voting equipment. - Michigan
Electronic Voter Guide:
The Michigan Electronic Voter Guide is designed to inform voters about the statewide candidates, ballot proposals and political parties qualified to appear on Michigan’s general election ballot. - Dates and DeadlinesAugust 3, 2004 Primary and November 2, 2004 General Election.
- Voters March -
Michigan:
"We are a group of like-minded citizens from the Great State of Michigan who are outraged by the nationwide voting irregularities and disregard toward ensuring every vote is counted in the USA in every election." Includes on-line discussion groups.
Get Out the Vote Resources:
- Mail and Phone Campaigns.
- How to host a candidates forum(links to a pdf file).
- Get out the vote from the Disability Vote Project - a range of resources!
- Get out the vote resources from the League of Woman Voters.
Polling Place Accessibility:
- Poll worker tips.
- A range of resources for polling place accessibility from the Disability Vote Project.
- Polling place accessiblity checklist used by State of Michigan in 2004. This is a pdf file and may not be accessible if you use a screen reader.
Other National Voting Rights Resources:
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