“According to a study conducted by Rutgers University and Syracuse University, if voters with disabilities voted at the same rate as their non-disabled peers with the same demographics (age, income, ethnicity, etc.) 3 million more people would have voted in the 2016 election. ”
How To Vote
Want to vote? How-To Guide below!
Note: If you have the assistance of a guardian or conservator (someone who helps to oversee legal matters, pay bills, and so forth) they may be able to assist you through the process, including when you visit the polls.
Terms are defined at the end of the post so if you get to a word you haven’t heard before, check the terms list. If it’s not there, drop a note in the comments section.
Register
You have to register (get your name on file with the government) to be able to vote when elections come.
Most states want you registered by October. Exact deadlines for each state:
https://www.usvotefoundation.org/vote/state-elections/state-election-dates-deadlines.htm
How to register.
Each state has its own process, but here are some basic guidelines.
1) Mail-In Registration
Go to website. Print. Fill it out. Mail it in.
Go to https://www.eac.gov/voters/national-mail-voter-registration-form and click on the link “National Mail Voter Registration Form.” For this method, you need to print a registration form, fill it out, and mail it in. If you don’t have a printer you might ask around since most people would be willing to print a form for someone who wants to register. Just search “voter registration form.” When you find it, it will appear very long but there’s only one actual page to fill out. On the government site it looks like the same page twice but one is for those who prefer to type on the form rather than print, and the other is if you want to print first then write answers.
Basically, just print the page that looks like this at the top.
On the registration form you can scroll down to find instructions for your state. BASICALLY, as long as you meet the main guidelines you can sign up. This is where you find the address of where to mail your form. DO IT BEFORE OCTOBER and you’ll be good to go.
2) Online Registration
Vote.gov is an easy way to get to online registration. Plan ahead because sometimes the website is down temporarily for maintenance. The website will walk you through the steps to register.
Requirements
Voting time! November 3rd.
Mail In Vote
In 2020 most states are automatically sending ballots (the form to vote with) to every registered voter. You will mark it then send it back. How will we ever know if it got there? I have no idea, but I hope they are monitoring the process closely. There are many safety measures in place to protect your vote.
Before mail in votes became a big deal because of the pandemic, we only called mail in votes absentee ballots (get it, because you’re absent?). You can still request an absentee ballot regardless of where you live. You just go to vote.org to register to be an absentee voter. It’s really very easy and they just send you a ballot.
In-Person Voting
In 2020, this might not be an option. If it is an option, it’s also very easy. Take your ID with you to the polling place you are designated to (ask a neighbor if you’re unsure, they assign you by where you live). Great news! You can request a sample ballot ahead of time on one of the government websites (search online). Then you can go through candidates and topics with someone you trust to explain them well. Be sure you are doing this with someone who will allow you to vote the way you truly believe, not the way they want you to. You can mark your choices on this sample ballot. Then when you walk into the polling place you simply get in line, show them your ID, then they’ll give you a tool that looks like a pencil but it’s used to tap the screen to fill in your choices (pretty cool!). On a touch screen you’ll mark your choices for each ballot item. When you get to the finish screen, cast your vote then you’re all done! Turn in your pencil-looking tool on your way out and grab a sticker to let people know you voted!
Learning about voting topics (non-persuasive).
DID YOU KNOW…You can do an internet search of your state and request a guide about issues and candidates up for vote? WARNING, some of the language used is extremely confusing, but it’s still helpful. Believe it or not, we can not rely on social media, memes, clever posts from people or commercials to truly inform us. Don’t get caught in the trap of convincing posts! Keep your true voice and vote for what you believe. In order to do this, you need to learn about the issues and candidates.
While they are very important, there is SO MUCH MORE to vote for beyond the president and senators. You don’t have to vote on everything! But you should vote on the issues and candidates with which you’re familiar.
It wasn’t until my late 20’s that I learned you can research the ways presidential candidates voted on issues during their time in congress (if they were in congress). For example, a candidate might say “everyone should have access to fair pay!” and then you might look into their past voting on issues that congress votes on and find out that same candidate voted against a bill to protect fair pay for people with disabilities. If you have time, look into the candidates. Simply use internet searches for particular candidates, searching “voting history on issues.”
When choosing news sources, you can use this media bias chart as a guide to improve chances of receiving reliable information.
Media bias chart
To read the full paper about voting barriers for people with disabilities (copy and paste link into URL bar): https://rudermanfoundation.org/the-ruderman-white-paper-voting-accessibility-for-people-with-disabilities/
If interested, you can learn about mental health issues and who to vote for based on your personal preferences on issues at: https://www.nami.org/Advocacy/Take-Action-on-Advocacy-Issues/Vote4MentalHealth/Learn-the-Issues
Be the change, cast your vote! Your opinion is valuable and critically needed. If there are access barriers along the way, take note and let’s work together to remove barriers for the next election! If not you, then who?
Voting Terms
Polling Station: The place you go to vote if you are going in person.
Bias: To lean toward one set of opinions, or to have ideas based on experiences rather than facts
Ballot: A paper form or computerized list of items to vote on
Cast your vote: This just means to vote. “Cast” is the verb we use when turning in a ballot