National Disability Voter Registration Week July 13-17, 2020

The general election is coming up on November 3, 2020, where elected officials and important matters are voted on.  With 1 in 4 people between the ages of 18-64 living in the United States with a disability, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), your voice matters.

Voting allows you the opportunity to voice your concerns, beliefs and how you want to be represented! It is critical to get involved, become aware of the issues and vote.

“If people with disabilities voted as the same rate as people without disabilities, there would be roughly 2.35 million more voters,” based on a report from RUTGERS School of Management and Labor.

There are many accessible voting options for individuals with disabilities, so we encourage you to make sure your voice is heard.

Register to vote, become informed about the issues, encourage your friends and family to register, know your rights as a voter, and vote. Spread voting facts and stories online. Make sure to use #CripTheVote #DisabilityVoting

How You Can Get Involved

Make sure you are registered to vote

To check voter status to see if you are registered to vote and if your registration up to date:
https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/

If you are not registered to vote, you can still register at: https:\\registertovote.com

-or-

Contact your local county elections office for voter registration:
https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices/

For California online voter registration:
https://registertovote.ca.gov/

Research and get informed about the issues

Issues such as: Accessible and affordable housing, Employment, Special Education, Healthcare, etc. Each of these is affected by your vote.

Encourage your friends and family to register and vote

Rock the Vote suggests:

Pledge to vote and get three friends to pledge: https://www.rockthevote.org/get-involved/get-three-friends-to-vote/

Volunteer to encourage people to vote:

Rock the Vote volunteer: https://www.rockthevote.org/get-involved/volunteer-with-rock-the-vote/

Become a Voting Squad Captain through When We All Vote: https://www.whenweallvote.org/votingsquad/

Enjoy a Free Voting Webinar:

Your Right to Vote - Voice Your Choice! Recorded webinar, join us to learn about the importance of voting, your voting rights and the voting process. View: https://www.disabilityrightsca.org/events/past-webinars

Know your Rights As a Voter

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) requires election officials to allow a voter who is blind or has another disability to receive assistance from a person of the voter’s choice (other than the voter's employer, its agent, or an officer/agent of the voter's union). The VRA also prohibits conditioning the right to vote based on a citizen being able to read or write, attain a particular level of education, or pass an interpretation test.

The Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act of 1984 (VAEHA) requires all polling facilities must be accessible to all individuals with disabilities. When no accessible location is available, voters must be provided an alternate means of voting on Election Day.

The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) requires all offices that provide public assistance or state-funded programs who primarily serve persons with disabilities to provide the opportunity to register to vote in federal elections.

The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) requires jurisdictions responsible for conducting federal elections to provide (at the minimum) one accessible voting system at each polling place. The accessible voting system must provide the same opportunity for access and participation, including privacy and independence.

California Voter’s Choice Act (VCA) requires participating counties to provide flexible and accessible voting options to all registered voters. As of the March 2020 Presidential Primary Election, 15 counties are currently implementing the VCA. Instead of being assigned to one specific polling place, voters may vote at any one of the fully accessible vote center locations throughout their county. A voter also may request and complete a vote-by-mail ballot, returning it by mail or returning it to one of many drop box locations throughout the county.  

Upcoming Voting Deadlines

• Registration deadline: October 19, 2020
• Vote-by-mail request deadline: October 27, 2020
• Election date: November 3, 2020

Your voice is important and your vote matters!

To learn more read our self-advocacy resources:

• Voters with Disabilities - Know the laws that protect voters with disabilities and information on how to register to vote, and vote.
• Your Right to Vote and Register to Vote when you are in a facility
• Your Right to Vote if You Cannot Vote in Person Due to a Medical Emergency
• Your Voting Rights Under Conservatorship (SB 589)

To learn more about DRC & Voting Rights visit: https://www.disabilityrightsca.org/what-we-do/programs/legal-advocacy-unit-lau

If You Are You Having Difficulty Voting Because of a Disability, Call DRC’s Voting line at:
1-888-569-7955