Get Out And Vote Tomorrow! ! ! ! !

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, November 6, 2006
Brad Williams (518) 427-1060
Tim Cronin (518) 859-8647

Ten percent of the likely voters polled self-identified as people with disabilities.

In a June 2000 speech, Jim Dickson of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) stated a prediction at a press conference in Albany, NY. He declared, "People with disabilities are the sleeping giants of American politics." A recent pre- election poll establishes a baseline to help monitor the potential fulfillment of Dickson’s prediction.

The Siena Research Institute conducted a non-partisan, pre- election telephone poll of 500 likely voters from October 30, 2006 to November 1, 2006. The poll asked a disability identifier question to help assess the voting trends of people with disabilities. Ten percent (10%) of those polled answered "yes" to the disability identifier question, "Do you have a medical condition or disability that impacts your mobility, hearing, sight, cognitive, or mental abilities?"

The population of individuals with disabilities polled indicated the following favorability/unfavorability ratings for statewide election this fall:

Further, if the election were held today, individuals with disabilities in the recent Siena Poll prefer these candidates for statewide office:

• NYS GOVERNOR
  - Democrat Eliot Spitzer over Republican John Faso, 69% to 27% (6% undecided).
  
  
• US SENATE
  - Democrat Hillary Clinton over Republican John Spencer, 65% to 27% (8% undecided).
  
  
• NYS ATTORNEY GENERAL
  - Democrat Andrew Cuomo over Republican Jeanine Pirro, 59% to 37% (4% undecided).
  
  
• NYS COMPTROLLER
  - Republican Chris Callaghan over Democrat Alan Hevesi, 37% to 35% (28% undecided).

Williams is hopeful that the recent and continued changes to improve polling place and voting machine access will help to remedy the situation. "We are at a watershed moment in this state and country," he remarked. "These changes, long overdue, will effectively reduce barriers so a greater number of New Yorkers with disabilities can vote privately and independently for the first time in their adult lives."

When asked about the long-term impact of the election reform and voting trends, Williams added, "What politician would dare to deny full voting access to such a significant portion of our total population, including emergency and site personnel that acquired disabilities post 9/11, soldiers wounded serving their country in Afghanistan and Iraq, and scores of "baby boomers" who will eventually experience a disability as they age over the next 10 to 15 years?"

The Siena Research Institute will conduct a follow up post- election poll to help verify and expand upon the findings.

NYSILC’s vision is to realize a world where people with disabilities achieve equal access and opportunity in all aspects of society.