3rd. During this election, we will have the chance to vote for our president, members of Congress in Washington D.C., and all of our state legislators here in Minnesota.

Make sure you’re ready to vote with the Arc Minnesota’s checklist. Check them off below!

1. Am I registered to vote?

Check here: https://mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us/VoterStatus.aspx

If not, you can register on Election Day at your polling place. Bring proof of residence: https://bit.ly/2P2I7AN 

2. Do I know the candidates on my ballot?

Enter your address to find the candidates running for the offices in your area. Access your Sample Ballot: https://myballotmn.sos.state.mn.us/ 

3. How am I voting?

Did you know that you can vote early by mail-in ballot? This way, you won’t even have to go to the polls! Mail-in ballots (also called absentee ballots) need to be in the mail TODAY 10/27 to make sure that your vote is counted on time. 

On Election Day, you have two options to vote. Vote inside of the polling place. Or, vote from your car. Two election judges from different parties will bring a ballot to you in your car. Both are secure ways to vote, choose what’s best for you. 

4. Where is my polling place?

Find your polling place. Poll finder: https://pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us/

5. How am I getting to the polling place?

Check that you have transportation to the polling place. Confirm bus or light rail routes. If you plan to carpool, check-in with them this week, etc. 

6. Is someone helping me vote?

You can bring anyone (except someone from your employer or union) that you choose to help you vote. Election judges will also be available to help you at the polling place. However, no one can tell you who to vote for.

7. If I don’t use a pen, do I know what ballot-marking machines I will use?

Ballot marking machines are used if you cannot, or choose not, to vote using a pen. There are three (3) types of ballot-marking machines in Minnesota. The type of ballot marking machine that will be at your polling place depends on your district. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/39jPH3c 

8. Do I know my voting rights?

You have many rights! You have the right to vote even if you are under guardianship (unless a judge has taken away your right to vote), to take time off work to vote, to get a new ballot if you make a mistake, and to file a complaint. If someone tries to deny your right to vote, know that only a judge can take away your right to vote. Get to know all your rights here: https://bit.ly/2ZR8Vdf 

9. If my right to vote is denied, what can I do?

If your rights are not respected, or if there is an accessibility barrier when voting, you can file a complaint here: https://bit.ly/2D0CXCx  

You can also get help from Justin Page, Staff Attorney at Legal Aid, at 612-746-3785 

The post “Am I ready to vote in the General Election?” Checklist first appeared on The Arc Minnesota.

The post “Am I ready to vote in the General Election?” Checklist appeared first on The Arc Minnesota.

Make sure you’re ready to vote with the Arc Minnesota’s checklist. Check them off below!

1. Am I registered to vote?

Check here: https://mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us/VoterStatus.aspx

If not, you can register on Election Day at your polling place. Bring proof of residence: https://bit.ly/2P2I7AN 

2. Do I know the candidates on my ballot?

Enter your address to find the candidates running for the offices in your area. Access your Sample Ballot: https://myballotmn.sos.state.mn.us/ 

3. How am I voting?

Did you know that you can vote early by mail-in ballot? This way, you won’t even have to go to the polls! Mail-in ballots (also called absentee ballots) need to be in the mail TODAY 10/27 to make sure that your vote is counted on time. 

On Election Day, you have two options to vote. Vote inside of the polling place. Or, vote from your car. Two election judges from different parties will bring a ballot to you in your car. Both are secure ways to vote, choose what’s best for you. 

4. Where is my polling place?

Find your polling place. Poll finder: https://pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us/

5. How am I getting to the polling place?

Check that you have transportation to the polling place. Confirm bus or light rail routes. If you plan to carpool, check-in with them this week, etc. 

6. Is someone helping me vote?

You can bring anyone (except someone from your employer or union) that you choose to help you vote. Election judges will also be available to help you at the polling place. However, no one can tell you who to vote for.

7. If I don’t use a pen, do I know what ballot-marking machines I will use?

Ballot marking machines are used if you cannot, or choose not, to vote using a pen. There are three (3) types of ballot-marking machines in Minnesota. The type of ballot marking machine that will be at your polling place depends on your district. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/39jPH3c 

8. Do I know my voting rights?

You have many rights! You have the right to vote even if you are under guardianship (unless a judge has taken away your right to vote), to take time off work to vote, to get a new ballot if you make a mistake, and to file a complaint. If someone tries to deny your right to vote, know that only a judge can take away your right to vote. Get to know all your rights here: https://bit.ly/2ZR8Vdf 

9. If my right to vote is denied, what can I do?

If your rights are not respected, or if there is an accessibility barrier when voting, you can file a complaint here: https://bit.ly/2D0CXCx  

You can also get help from Justin Page, Staff Attorney at Legal Aid, at 612-746-3785.

The post “Am I Ready To Vote in the Primary Election?” Checklist first appeared on The Arc Minnesota.

The post “Am I Ready To Vote in the Primary Election?” Checklist appeared first on The Arc Minnesota.

Imagine showing up to vote and the polling official decides you aren’t “fit” to vote? While this may sound absurd and offensive, millions of Americans with disabilities once faced this situation when trying to vote. Just like other citizens, people with disabilities have the right to vote unless that right has been taken away by a judge. However, it wasn’t long ago that an American with disabilities could be denied the right to vote based on stereotypes and assumptions about disability, such as appearance. Today, laws are in place to protect the voting rights of people with disabilities, and to make sure voting is as accessible as possible. 

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 granted individuals with disabilities the right to have help with voting from a person of their choice. However, the first federal civil rights protection wasn’t until the 1973 Rehabilitation Act. Even after the Rehab Act was passed, there were not effective regulations to put these standards in place – especially Section 504, which focused on accessibility and assistance for people with disabilities (American Association of People with Disabilities). 

Across the country, disability rights activists staged sit-ins for effective regulations of Section 504. At the San Francisco Office of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, activists held the longest sit-in of a federal building in U.S. history: 25 days. The protests worked, and the Section 504 regulations were signed into law and implemented. This proved that disability rights activists had the ability to shape laws and policies – including protections for voting. 

The Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act of 1984 made sure that all registration facilities and polling places for federal elections must be accessible to people with disabilities. If no location can serve as an accessible polling place, other voting options must be provided on the day of the election. This act is vital for voters with physical disabilities, as polling places are now required to make accessibility accommodations such as voter parking, entrances, and elevators/ramps. The Act also promotes voting aids such as instructions printed in large font and teletypewriters for people who are deaf. 

More recently in 2002, the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) created minimum standards to improve the voting system and election administration. The law provided funding and made the Election Assistance Commission (EAC). In December 2005, the EAC adopted the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG). These guidelines determine if voting systems meet the standard requirements. Testing includes factors such as functionality, accessibility, and security. The increased voting security allowed for more opportunities for people with disabilities to vote privately and independently. 

While these Acts have helped increase accessibility to vote, almost a third of voters with disabilities reported having trouble casting their ballots in the 2016 election (Fessler). The problems span from getting into the polling place, reading the ballot, and operating the machine. Disability rights are civil rights, yet millions of Americans with disabilities still struggle to vote.

According to the Federal Election Commission, more than 20,000 polling places across the nation are inaccessible, depriving people with disabilities of their fundamental right to vote (Sommers). Polling booths are often unintentionally inaccessible. Voting obstacles can include polling places in a basement or upstairs without access via a ramp or elevator, no accessible parking, narrow doorways that do not accommodate a wheelchair, etc. In most states, Braille ballots are not supported, and people who are blind do not have the right to a secret ballot. 

Voting is a patriotic American value and an important civil right. But with all of the challenges that voters with disabilities still experience, our community must come together to advocate for voting accessibility and to uphold the right of people with disabilities to vote. We must keep working to advance voting rights, and make sure that all voters with disabilities have the information, tools, resources, and access they need to cast their ballot!

Citations

• American Association of People with Disabilities. “Ed Roberts, the Disability Rights Movement and the ADA – American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) – Google Arts & Culture.” Google Arts & Culture, Google, artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/VwLy4PBo_Ty9Jg.
• Fessler, Pam. “Voters With Disabilities Fight For More Accessible Polling Places.” NPR, All Things Considered, 24 Oct. 2016, www.npr.org/2016/10/24/499177544/disabled-voters-fight-for-more-accessible-polling-places.
• Sommers, Anne. “Voting Accessibility Questionnaire.” Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania, 12 Feb. 2018, www.disabilityrightspa.org/newsroom/voting-accessibility-questionnaire/.

The post 20in20: A History of Voting Rights for People with Disabilities first appeared on The Arc Minnesota.

The post 20in20: A History of Voting Rights for People with Disabilities appeared first on The Arc Minnesota.