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People with disabilities have fought to have a place at America's table-to be present when the big decisions that affect us all are made-but at election time our votes are conspicuously absent. In the 1996 Presidential Election, 11.6 million Americans with disabilities voted, but another 23.5 million did not. If people with disabilities voted at the same rate as the able-bodied - which is lousy to start with - there would be five million more votes cast on November 7th.

With rights, come responsibilities. The ADA has had an extraordinary effect on many people's lives, but it is a mistake to think that the fight is over.

Our march for human rights can be halted and pushed back at any time; and if we do not have allies in elected offices there is little we can do. If we put as much work into getting people out to vote as we have put into other undertakings, closing the voting gap between people with disabilities and the general public will seem effortless.

The National Organization on Disability's non-partisan VOTE!2000 campaign has set the goal of increasing by 700,000 the number of voters with disabilities participating in the year 2000 elections. That amounts to about three percent, and it will take a concerted get-out-the-vote campaign to attain this considerable achievement. What follows is a short overview of what you and your agency need to do in order to get-out-the-vote in your area. Only you and your local disability agencies can make the difference.

Getting out the vote is a numbers game. There is no nuance, not subtle arguments; just "Did you get more votes than the competition?" Therefore, it is important to always think in terms of getting every voter with disabilities to the polls. You and your agency must perform at a level of peak motivation. The first and most important rule is: the more you ask people to vote, the more likely they are to vote. Voting must be kept in the forefront of people's minds; they must know that you, your organization and their community think voting is essential. At every opportunity varied media should be used to get out the message. Voting should be seen not as a chore or bother, but a duty and a matter of acute self-interest.

The most important weapon in your arsenal will be your list. A comprehensive list must contain phone numbers and addresses for your clients, their families, your staff, and your friends. To be useful, the list must be as current and complete as possible. The task of creating and maintaining this list must be put in the hands of a competent individual with a track record of thoroughness and follow-through. The list must be compiled on a simple database (E-base is one free online interactive database that is available at http://www.ebase.org.)

Once your list is compiled, a copy of your community's voter file must be obtained. Your board of elections maintains this public record of every voter and how often they voted (but not for whom they voted). It may be more efficient for you to contract out this work to an outside list-matching group, or to partner up with an organization that is conducting a similar voting drive. This document will help you figure out whether someone is a Frequent Voter (voting in three out of the last four elections, including general and primary), an Occasional Voter (voting in two out of the last four elections), or a Non-Voter (voting in one or none of the last four elections.) The list of Frequent Voters is a great place to start looking for volunteers for your voter drive.

Your agency may want to conduct two other activities. Absentee voting may not feel as equal and inclusive to the voter with a disability, but it can be convenient and may provide some with their only chance to vote. Learn about the absentee voting laws and deadlines in your state. The second activity would be to bring in the apparatus that the voter will use on Election Day to get voters with disabilities to feel comfortable using it. You can have this "dress rehearsal" in service agency waiting rooms, group homes, or wherever people are already assembled.

As the election comes closer, you may want to hold a forum for local candidates. This endeavor requires much work and time, and you should not take it on lightly. If time and resources are limited, skip the forum and concentrate on setting up the phone bank.

At two weeks you must send a clear and simple mailer to everyone on your list reminding him or her to vote. It must simply connect voting with your issue advocacy. It could state: "If you want to see a shorter waiting list, or if you want accessible transportation, or if you want stronger enforcement of the ADA, then vote!" The mailer must prominently display a phone number to call for polling place information, which your board of elections can provide. It should also list a phone number for people who need transportation to the polls, or who have other questions. This should be followed a few days later with the first round of calls. A Phone Bank Coordinator must be responsible for designing and leading a system that delivers a large volume of voter contacts with high enthusiasm, accurate message delivery and careful recording of responses. If your organization does not have enough phone lines, local non-profits may allow you to use their phones in the evenings for non-partisan phone banking. Some people may be more comfortable making calls from home.

An enthusiastic shift supervisor must announce daily the goals for the phone bank callers. The volunteers will call each person on their list and use a script to encourage voter participation. The responses will be recorded and notes will be made if the voter requires transportation to their polling place. If contact is not made with the person, they are called again the next day. The ideal hours to phone are between 6:00 and 9:00 p.m. If possible, provide your volunteers with dinner.

The second phone campaign should be done no later that four days before the election and, again, briefly repeat the message contained in the mailer. The last round of calls occurs on Election Day, when every caller should be reached to make sure they have voted.

Please join in the effort to get-out-the-vote. That place at the table we have fought so hard for will not be saved for us if we don't show up on Election Day.

For more detailed information please see the "How to turn Out Voters with Disabilities" guide at www.nod.org or call the National Organization on Disability at (202) 293-5960.