For Immediate Release: August 22, 2025
Contact: Jess Davidson, jdavidson@aapd.com; 202-465-5528
Washington, D.C. – Earlier this week, President Trump announced he hopes to end vote-by-mail and limit the types of voting machines that can be used ahead of the 2026 elections. The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) strongly condemns this declaration as an act of voter suppression that threatens the rights of millions of voters with disabilities.
As with previous Executive Orders issued on voting by President Trump, the President does not have the constitutional authority to change election laws – this power is explicitly given to the states and Congress. However, even without issuing another Executive Order, the language coming from the White House causes damage by undermining trust in our elections and creating fear and confusion among voters and election officials.
“Vote-by-mail and accessible voting machines are an essential part of our democracy. There are more than 40 million eligible disabled voters in the United States, across every community and political party. For many, these methods are their only way to access the ballot,” said Alexia Kemerling, Director of Accessible Democracy at AAPD. “Eliminating or restricting accessible voting options puts the security of our democracy at risk by disenfranchising millions.”
Disabled voters are already three times more likely to face difficulties casting a ballot than nondisabled voters. People with disabilities are also less likely to vote due to the systemic barriers that make voting difficult like lack of accessible transportation, strict photo ID laws, inaccessible polling places, and more.
The turnout gap for disabled voters has shrunk, from -5.7 points in 2020 to -1.5 points in 2022, but there are still many eligible disabled voters who face barriers in the voting process or who are not registered and not casting a ballot.
Policies that expand access to voting, like no-excuse options for vote-by-mail, increase voter turnout overall, and among people with disabilities. People with disabilities vote by mail at higher rates than nondisabled people, with over half of disabled people voting by mail in 2020.
Mail-in voting helps people with all sorts of disabilities. For example, a wheelchair user in a rural area may not be able to secure accessible transportation to the polls. Crowded polling places may be unsafe and inaccessible to voters who are immunocompromised. A voter with an intellectual disability may prefer to vote from home in order to spend more time reading and understanding the ballot. People experiencing long-term hospital stays or living in nursing homes may be unable to leave their beds. These are realities disabled voters face every election. Many disabled people in circumstances like these will no longer be able to participate in our democracy if the proposals Trump has threatened take effect.
Voting by mail is safe, secure, and has been used effectively in the United States for decades. Claims of fraud have been repeatedly disproven by exhaustive research and rejected by courts.
President Trump’s claims about the security of voting machines are equally unfounded. There are extensive security measures set by the Election Assistance Commission, an independent, bipartisan agency. Voting machines undergo rigorous testing, conducted by bipartisan teams, before and after every election. Voting and tabulation machines aren’t connected to the internet, making remote tampering virtually impossible. Equipment is locked, sealed, and monitored at all times, with strict chain-of-custody protocols documenting every handoff and post-election audits verifying results.
Accessible voting machines are vital for people with disabilities to vote privately and independently. Machines allow voters to listen to a ballot, adjust text size and contrast, change the ballot language, or mark selections by using a tactile keypad or sip-and-puff device.
Current law requires polling places to have at least one accessible voting machine, yet disabled voters already face barriers with untrained poll workers, long lines due to not enough machines. If the use of voting machines is further discouraged or limited, these issues will increase and prevent people from accessing their right to vote.
“Disabled voters already face disproportionate barriers to the ballot,” said Maria Town, AAPD President and CEO. “We urge those with real power over our elections – Congress, the Election Assistance Commission, Secretaries of State, and state legislators – to protect the rights of voters with disabilities and preserve our democracy.”
The disability community will not surrender our fight for an inclusive democracy. This September 8–12, AAPD will host Disability Voting Rights Week (DVRW), bringing together national, state, and local partners to advocate for accessibility, educate policymakers, and mobilize voters.
To learn more about AAPD’s voting rights work or access resources about voting as a person with disability, join our REV UP campaign. REV UP stands for “Register! Educate! Vote! Use your Power!” and is a movement to increase civic engagement in the disability community and improve election accessibility.