REV UP’s mission is to build the power of the disability vote through increasing civic engagement in the disability community and improving the accessibility of elections. That’s a BIG goal. So you may be wondering– what does our work look like? How do we actually make a difference for disabled voters and for democracy?
We have five main focus areas and many goals within those areas. We work closely with state and community leaders and we provide small grants to fund our work. Keep reading to hear more about our work to reach out to disabled voters, increase accessibility at the polls, and fight voter suppression.
1. Voter Outreach
We work every year to register new disabled voters. Have you done voter registration for REV UP? Make sure to report your voter outreach so that we can keep track of progress towards these goals:
- Goal: Register 1,000 disabled voters by August 2024.
- Goal: Register 200 voters residing in congregate settings.
We also work to educate all disabled voters on their rights and how to vote in their state. Here’s what we’re looking at for 2024:
- Goal: Support REV UP Coalitions and partners in conducting 50 voter training and outreach events in the community, both virtual and in-person. Keep an eye on our events page!
- Goal: Update our state voting guides for disabled voters for all 50 states and D.C. in Spanish and English for 2024.
- Goal: Develop and execute a strategy to increase usage of state voting guides.
- Goal: Meet with the state-level Election Protection groups in every REV UP coalition state to ensure they have information around disability voting rights.
- Goal: Prioritize reaching historically excluded communities by conducting voter education, registration, and outreach at 30 congregate settings across 3 states.
In addition to educating the disability community about voting rights, we also want disabled voters to know about the specific elections happening in their state and know how to actually participate in each election, including via remote and absentee voting options.
- Goal: Support REV UP Coalitions and partners in hosting 10 nonpartisan disability issue candidate forums across 10 different states, focused at state and local level races.
- Goal: Support efforts in 5 states to provide accessible rides to the polls or provide absentee ballots to voters (in states where this is allowed).
2. Increasing Election Accessibility
REV UP is working hard to build relationships with federal and local election officials to ensure that they view accessibility as a top priority.
- Goal: Each coalition has at least one meeting with an election official in their state before the fall general election date.
- Goal: REV UP national team to meet with U.S. Election Assistance Commission in 2024 to share goals, concerns for accessible voting.
We also work to help introduce pro-voter legislation at the federal level.
- Goal: Create a REV UP Accessible Voting Priorities resource to lay out the policies and practices we want to see across all states in order to move toward accessible elections.
- Goal: At least five REV UP Coalition members will meet with their state representative or senator to share voting accessibility priorities.
As part of our efforts to change policy, we advocate for the increase of remote electronic voting and polling place accessibility, as well as accessible websites across every county.
- Goal: Collect stories from states that do allow remote electronic voting for disabled voters.
- Goal: Work with REV UP members to create an educational resource about the importance and accessibility of remote electronic voting.
- Goal: Set up three meetings with voting rights advocates who have concerns around remote electronic voting and advocates in favor of remote electronic voting in order to facilitate meaningful discussion on the topic.
- Goal: Meet with election officials in states where polling place accessibility is going well and develop a list of best practices.
- Goal: Share the list of best practices in meetings with state election officials in states where improvement is needed.
- Goal: Work with Center for Democracy in Technology to design a research project looking into the accessibility of websites.
- Goal: Pairing up with REV UP members, meet with at least 5 local government officials to discuss the importance of digital accessibility.
- Goal: Through the National Coalition for Accessible Voting, advocate for federal funding to support digital accessibility through federal legislation and the DOJ rulemaking process. Advocate through REV UP staff and coalition members meeting with at least 3 congressional offices about the topic.
3. Fighting Voter Suppression
We work each year to fight against any anti-voter bills and practices that pop up at the state and federal levels.
- Goal: Train and support REV UP advocates on submitting complaints to the Department of Justice.
- Goal: Prepare for anti-voter and pro-voter legislation, by supporting 10 REV UP coalitions in pre-writing testimony on their experiences and needs as disabled voters.
- Goal: Within one week of bill text being released, reach out to state level partners to ask what support is needed.
- Goal: For states where anti-voter legislation is highly likely, identify key partners who can help provide funding and transportation for advocates to get to the statehouse to meet with legislators or testify, and help coordinate the details.
We also work to conduct polling place accessibility audits, to ensure that polling places know how to increase accessibility.
- Goal: Support audits in 10 states through providing materials and volunteer recruitment support.
- Goal: Bring at least one non-disability focused voting rights advocacy group into accessibility audits in each state.
4. Building Civic Engagement
REV UP as a whole is building civic engagement in the disability community, and we do it while prioritizing intersectionality and grassroots organizing.
- Goal: Form REV UP coalitions in five new states by the end of 2024.
- Goal: Develop connections with native and tribal voting rights groups; connect with 3 national organizations and locally in five REV UP states.
- Goal: Host 4 national REV UP calls, with a minimum attendance of 50 members each call.
- Goal: Host 4 REV UP roundtables to discuss key issues and reach 50 new attendees (non-REV UP members).
- Goal: Give out REV UP grants in 30 states.
- Goal: Support 75 Disability Voting Rights Week events (virtual, in-person; support through funding, promotion, swag boxes, guidance).
- Goal: During Disability Voting Rights Week, get 40 states involved.
- Goal: Plan and host a national disability voting event, in partnership with our national partners.
5. Grow Visibility
Lastly, we’re working to grow the visibility of the disability voting bloc and disability perspective in campaign conversations.
- Goal: Send an accessibility memo to the networks hosting general election Presidential Campaign debates.
- Goal: Survey presidential candidates on disability policy and publish the responses.
- Goal: Meet with the Commission on Presidential Debates to discuss accessibility.
- Goal: Publish at least two op-eds from AAPD about the disability vote.
So as you can see, we have a lot to accomplish in 2024, and we need the full force of our community behind us! Learn more about how to get involved with REV UP in your own community at our organizing hub.