Are the voices of Voters with Disabilities being heard?

Every U.S. citizen deserves the right to be able to vote privately and independently. With the United States Postal Service (USPS) declaring that it may fail to deliver voting ballots on time, a new barrier has been created for people with disabilities to make their votes count. Considering the inaccessibility of polling places for people, mail-in voting is one of the most convenient ways of voting. In fact, 30% of the voters with disability voted using mail-in ballots in 2016 Presidential elections as compared to 22% of voters with no disability. However, with such a warning from the USPS, the voting gap between people with disabilities and people without disabilities is likely to widen.

People with disabilities comprise a growing group of voters, who may substantially influence the outcome of the 2020 presidential elections. According to the data collected by the United States Census Bureau, in 2018, 12.6% of the total registered voters were people with disabilities. Additionally, if people with disabilities voted at the same rate as people with no disabilities, there would be approximately 2.35 million more voters. Figure 1. shows that the voter turnout among people with disabilities saw a slight drop in 2016 Presidential Elections as compared to 2012 Presidential elections, whereas, it remained consistent for people with no disabilities. Moreover, the voter turnout among people with disabilities surged by 8.5 percentage point in 2018 midterm elections as compared to 2014 midterm elections.

According to Figure 2., the projected voter turnout among people with disabilities for the 2020 presidential election is likely to increase by 5 percentage points compared to 2016 presidential elections. However, this is possible only if we continue to make voting more inclusive, accessible, and hassle-free for people with disabilities.

Challenges Faced by People with Disabilities

Inaccessible Voting Machines and Polling Places

Figure 3. shows the difference between percentage registered and percentage voted across people with different types of disabilities in the 2016 presidential elections. The largest gaps between registered and voted is seen among people who have independent living and self-care difficulty followed by those who have cognitive disability. Voting policies for those under guardianship or conservatorship might be a reason for this disparity because in many states, people having a conservator or a guardian, are not allowed to vote. Another major challenge that prevent registered voters with disabilities from voting is the lack of accessible voting machines and polling stations.

Help America Vote Act (HAVA), passed by the U.S. Congress in 2002, requires jurisdictions conducting federal elections to have at least one accessible voting machine, to ensure private and independent voting by people with disabilities. The Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) voting machines are the only machines which meet the federal requirements for access by people with disabilities. An accessible machine has several features like - speech output through headphones to review a ballot, buttons to choose a candidate, and user controls to change font size and screen contrast. However, many jurisdictions have a crisis of such voting machines. Figure 4. shows the number of accessible voting machines available per 10,000 people with disabilities by state. It is easy to notice that some of the densely populated states like New York, Florida and Texas have less than 10 accessible voting machines per 10,000 people with disabilities.

According to an analysis done by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), two-thirds of the 137 polling places inspected on Election Day in 2016, had at least one barrier to people with disabilities. People with disabilities face many impediments – the voting machines not being accessible by wheelchair, the accessible machines not being powered on and the accessible machines not providing the same privacy as other standard voting machines, being the most common ones. A study done by Lisa Schur and Douglas Kruse of Rutgers University notes that people with disabilities also face physical barriers such as steep ramps and poor floor surfaces in polling stations, which further prohibits them from voting. When polling places are located in outdated buildings, people with disabilities have to vote on the curbside with the assistance of a poll worker and therefore are not able to have an independent and private voting experience.

Finally, as highlighted by a report by Ruderman Foundation, lack of training for poll workers, limitations on resources available to election officials and access barriers to registration materials prior to the elections, also prevent people with disabilities from having a hassle-free voting experience.

Prejudice and Humiliation

In addition to facing physical barriers to voting, people with disabilities face prejudice and humiliation. People with cognitive disabilities are often prevented from voting due to prejudicial assumptions about their capabilities. Kathy Hoell, who uses a powered wheelchair and has suffered a brain injury, says that poll workers have told her, that she is not smart enough to vote. “Basically, I am second-class citizen”, she says. Another voter, Ava Adams, who had hearing difficulty, complained that the poll workers were inflexible, and she was forced to cast a provincial ballot. Such incidents prove that voting without the fear of getting humiliated is still not a reality for people with disabilities.

Hindrance Caused by Covid-19

In addition to the impediments caused by inaccessible polling stations, the ongoing pandemic has created several other obstructions for voters with disabilities. Some people with disabilities are more susceptible to contracting the novel coronavirus because of an underlying medical condition. Therefore, vote by mail is an important service for voters with disabilities to cast their votes from the comfort of their homes. The option of voting by mail also provides more time to mail-in the decision ballots. However, due to the financial crisis faced by the USPS, people with disabilities may face a time crunch to get their ballots in. Also, many people with disabilities face challenges in marking the paper ballots used in mail-in voting, which may keep them from voting this Fall.

Poll workers are an essential asset during elections because they assist people in voting or in accessing the voting machines. There is also a shortage of poll workers created by the pandemic, because many workers have refused to take the health risk associated with working at poll stations during Covid-19. This may leave several voters with disability without assistance at the voting places. Though states have ramped up their poll worker recruitment strategies, the training of these newly recruited workers to help people with disabilities remains a concern.

These additional challenges created by Covid-19 may reduce the number of people with disabilities who were projected to vote in the 2020 presidential elections.

What can the government do?

Expand methods of voting, ballot distribution and return

States should consider having both mail-in and in-person voting options to maximize the feasibility of voting by people with disabilities. States should ensure the presence of at least one accessible voting machine at all polling stations. Ballot drop off locations should be expanded. Options like drive-thru voting and curbside voting should be explored. To remove the cost barrier associated with mail-in voting, states should consider providing voters with pre-paid postage options.

Expand no-excuse absentee voting

Providing documentation of a disability for obtaining mail-in ballots can be both tiring and time-consuming. Currently, 29 states and Washington D.C. have incorporated no excuse absentee voting through which people with disabilities can access a mail-in ballot without providing documentation of their condition. Other states should consider implementing no-excuse absentee voting as well. Moreover, extending deadlines to request absentee voting will also be helpful in reducing barriers to voting by people with disabilities.

Provide accessible information about elections

Much of the information about voting and elections available on the internet is often not accessible by people with disabilities. States should consider working with experts to make this information readily accessible to ensure increased participation by people with disabilities.

Though most of the work, to bridge the voter turnout gap, between people with and without disabilities must be done by the government, there are ways in which everyone can help-

Encourage people with disabilities to serve as poll workers, wherever possible. People with disabilities have experience with the accessible voting machines, therefore they may become better assistants to others who need help in casting their vote. As poll workers, people with disabilities, who are aware of the challenges imposed by polling stations, may be able to maximize private and independent voting, in the absence of accessible voting machines. Chances are that they will become role models for others by advocating for equal rights and opportunities at polling stations. Other ways to improve poll station accessibility is to use an accessible machine whenever possible to ensure that these machines are in proper working condition.

Remember - Small actions make big changes. With little effort, we can have fair elections this November, in which all voices are heard.

After all, ALL voices matter!