Issue Area: Voting

Legal Brief: Voting

"Vote as if your life depends on it. Because it does." -Justin Dart

Frequently Asked Questions about Voting

“I’ve never been in my polling place because it is not accessible. There are steps. I’ve voted outside with the help of a voting official, who tried to advise me on the ballot. Since then I’ve been voting absentee." - a voter

People with Mental Disabilities Have The Right to Vote! PDF Version MS Word Version

Did you know...

A 2001 General Accounting Office study determined that only 16% of polling places had no potential impediments.
If people with disabilities had voted at the same rate as those without disabilities, there would have been 4.6 million additional voters in 1998, which would have raised the voter turnout rate by over 2.5%.
A 1998 Louis Harris poll found that political parties were less likely to contact people with disabilities.
Overall, people with disabilities are less likely to vote, contribute to, contact or volunteer in political campaigns.
- the above is according to Enable America, Inc.

Americans with disabilities have too often been unable to cast their ballots because of inaccessible voting places or discriminatory voting policies. The Help America Vote Act requires states to improve access to the polls for individuals with disabilities.

All Americans are entitled to exercise their right to vote. The DRC is working to educate NH residents with disabilities about voting rights and responsibilities.

The Help America Vote Act requires New Hampshire to develop a plan to ensure that all individuals with disabilities have access to voting. HAVA and other laws require that you be able to:

Park in an accessible space at the registration and polling locations
Have an accessible route from the parking space to the accessible entrance
Register on the same day you vote
The NH Secretary of State must provide voter, election official, and poll worker training to ensure access to individuals with disabilities.
If you live in an institution, you are still entitled to vote unless that right has specifically been terminated by law due to guardianship or criminal conviction

The Disabilities Rights Center: Volunteers being trained

Provides education, training, and assistance to individuals with disabilities to promote their participation in elections

Surveys polling places to identify problems with accessibility

Participates in training and education of elected officials, poll workers, and election volunteers

Participates in advocacy and training efforts in the state

Helps individuals with disabilities file a complaint if their voting rights are violated

Get involved! Photo of a woman speaking with a presidential candidate. The Help America Vote Act of 2002

The Rap sheet, Fall 2004: Getting Out The Vote: PDF text Voter Roberta Gallant poses with Ted Kennedy at the 2008 Presidential Candidates Forum version

NDRN (National Disability Rights Network) has a wealth of Voting Resources

New Hampshire Secretary of State, Election Division

US Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Voting

Impact, Feature Issue on Political Activism and Voter Participation by Persons with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities

National Technical Assistance Center for Voting and Cognitive Access

Inclusion Solutions has information, resources, and a newsletter, HAVAccess, concerning polling place accessibility

National Mental Health Voter Empowerment Program, from the National Consumer Supporter Technical Assistance Center

Disability Vote Project, from the American Association of People with Disabilities

	Disabilities Rights Center
DRCNH Home > Issue Areas > Voting Voting		Issue Areas: Abuse/Neglect/ Restraint/Seclusion Accessibility and Reasonable Accommodation Assistive Technology Benefits: Social Security, Medicaid Community Living and Inclusion Criminal Justice and Incarceration Developmental Disabilities Employment Guardianship and Substituted Decisionmaking Housing Mental Health Special Education and other Children's Issues Traumatic Brain Injury Veterans and Military Families Voting
Main Section The Law Resources Legal Brief: Voting *"Vote as if your life depends on it. Because it does." -Justin Dart* Frequently Asked Questions about Voting “I’ve never been in my polling place because it is not accessible. There are steps. I’ve voted outside with the help of a voting official, who tried to advise me on the ballot. Since then I’ve been voting absentee." - a voter People with Mental Disabilities Have The Right to Vote! PDF Version MS Word Version Did you know... A 2001 General Accounting Office study determined that only 16% of polling places had no potential impediments. If people with disabilities had voted at the same rate as those without disabilities, there would have been 4.6 million additional voters in 1998, which would have raised the voter turnout rate by over 2.5%. A 1998 Louis Harris poll found that political parties were less likely to contact people with disabilities. Overall, people with disabilities are less likely to vote, contribute to, contact or volunteer in political campaigns. the above is according to Enable America, Inc. Americans with disabilities have too often been unable to cast their ballots because of inaccessible voting places or discriminatory voting policies. The Help America Vote Act requires states to improve access to the polls for individuals with disabilities. All Americans are entitled to exercise their right to vote. The DRC is working to educate NH residents with disabilities about voting rights and responsibilities. The Help America Vote Act requires New Hampshire to develop a plan to ensure that all individuals with disabilities have access to voting. HAVA and other laws require that you be able to: Park in an accessible space at the registration and polling locations Have an accessible route from the parking space to the accessible entrance Register on the same day you vote The NH Secretary of State must provide voter, election official, and poll worker training to ensure access to individuals with disabilities. If you live in an institution, you are still entitled to vote unless that right has specifically been terminated by law due to guardianship or criminal conviction The Disabilities Rights Center: Provides education, training, and assistance to individuals with disabilities to promote their participation in elections Surveys polling places to identify problems with accessibility Participates in training and education of elected officials, poll workers, and election volunteers Participates in advocacy and training efforts in the state Helps individuals with disabilities file a complaint if their voting rights are violated The Help America Vote Act of 2002 The Rap sheet, Fall 2004: Getting Out The Vote: PDF text version NDRN (National Disability Rights Network) has a wealth of Voting Resources New Hampshire Secretary of State, Election Division US Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Voting Impact, Feature Issue on Political Activism and Voter Participation by Persons with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities National Technical Assistance Center for Voting and Cognitive Access Inclusion Solutions has information, resources, and a newsletter, HAVAccess, concerning polling place accessibility National Mental Health Voter Empowerment Program, from the National Consumer Supporter Technical Assistance Center Disability Vote Project, from the American Association of People with Disabilities

Disabilities Rights Center

Voting

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