Making Voting Accessible Means Millions More Votes

Lilian Aluri, REV UP Voting Campaign Coordinator

This blog was originally posted by US Vote Foundation on their blog and reposted with permission as part of a series of blogs. The US Vote Foundation recently published their Resources for Voters with Disabilities initiative in honor of Disability Voting Rights Week.

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38 Million. That’s the number of eligible voters with disabilities in the U.S. This week, September 12-16, is Disability Voting Rights Week. Learn why the disability vote matters and how you work to build the power of the disability vote with us.

Disabled voters make up one of the largest voting blocs in the country. Many politicians and lawmakers prefer to think of us as passive members of society, content to be left out of the political process. But this could not be farther from the truth.

Disabled people are activists and organizers, candidates and voters, caregivers and recipients of care, community leaders and volunteers, patients and doctors, employees and CEOs. We have many reasons to care about elections and how they impact our lives. The people and policies we vote on impact our access to transportation, employment, healthcare, community, privacy, and so much more.

Even though voters with disabilities have many reasons to vote in elections, there is still a 6% turnout gap between voters with and without disabilities. This means that fewer people with disabilities are voting than non-disabled people. Our community has less of a say in the very policies that impact our lives. This doesn’t mean that disabled voters are less politically engaged than voters without disabilities. Access barriers create this turnout gap.

Some barriers that keep disabled voters from participating in elections include inaccessibility at every part of the voting process, discrimination from others, exclusion from the political process by candidates and campaigns, and social isolation from digital and physical access barriers to the community.

Disability Voting Rights Week, September 12-16, 2022, aapd.com/dvrw - on the right of the text is a blue and white and red ballot box with a blue fist on one side.

In 2016, the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) launched the REV UP Voting Campaign and Disability Voting Rights Week to address this gap in voting outreach and advocacy. REV UP builds the power of the disability vote through grassroots coalition building, voting outreach to disabled voters, and advocating for more accessible voting.

Closing the 6% voter turnout gap between people with and without disabilities would mean close to 2 million more votes from people with disabilities. Learn how you can join REV UP in making sure disabled voters are registered and ready to vote and have access to the ballot in 2022 and beyond!

Find REV UP at aapd.com/revup and on social media at @RevUPCampaign.

Action Alert: Ask Your Senators to Confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson!

April 04, 2022

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was just voted out of committee and is poised to become the first Black woman Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, pending a full vote by the Senate.  Today, we are calling on our network to take action by reaching out to your Senators and pushing them to ensure the fair, swift, and bipartisan confirmation vote that Judge Jackson deserves.

Read AAPD’s press release applauding the vote advancing Judge Jackson out of committee and AAPD’s press release celebrating her nomination. To learn more about her track record on disability and civil rights you can read the Bazelon Center’s research memo on Judge Jackson’s decisions.

Take action by contacting your Senator through phone, email, or social media and urging them to confirm Judge Jackson!

Dial 888-852-7561 and the #ConfirmJackson hotline will connect you to your local Senator or tag your Senator on Twitter and use the #ConfirmJackson hashtag. 

Sample Email/ Phone Script:

Hello, My name is [Your name]. 

I am contacting you today to urge you to support Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court. Judge Jackson’s personal and professional experiences will increase public trust in our courts and improve judicial decision making on a number of issues, including disability rights. 

In numerous decisions, from her time as a federal public defender to her service on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Judge Jackson has shown deep appreciation for our nation’s disability rights laws. She has represented defendants with mental health disabilities and ensured that they would receive a fair day in court. She has ruled on many cases that affirm people with disabilities deserve equal opportunities for participation in our workplaces, government programs, and places of public accommodation. 

As a member of the disability community, my life has been directly impacted by the decisions of the Supreme Court. It is important to me that the Supreme Court understands the importance of disability rights and civil rights more broadly, and Judge Jackson has demonstrated that she does. All Americans will benefit from Judge Jackson’s presence on the Supreme Court!

Sample Tweets: 

[@Your Senator] the #SCOTUS decisions impact people with disabilities & Judge Jackson has exhibited an exemplary track record on disability & civil rights along with a dedication to equity. We deserve a Justice like Judge Jackson. Vote yes to #ConfirmJackson #CripTheVote

[@Your Senator] I am calling on you to recognize Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s exceptional record and to deliver the fair and swift confirmation vote that she deserves. We need a Supreme Court that will represent all Americans. #ConfirmJackson #CripTheVote

We need [@Your Senator] to #ConfirmJackson, not only for a more reflective and equitable Supreme Court but also so that we can have a highly qualified Justice that is impartial and fully dedicated to disability and civil rights for all. America needs Judge Jackson. #CripTheVote

Action Alert: Ask your Senators to Protect Our Access to Voting!

September 17, 2021

Today, we are calling on our network to take action to protect access to the ballot. The U.S. Senate is considering a voting rights bill called the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Week. This bill would restore the power of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to protect our right to vote from restrictive laws that seem to limit voting access for people with disabilities, people of color, and disabled people of color.

Learn more about the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and take action below!

Check out all of the activities taking place this week at aapd.com/ndvrw and…

REV UP for National Disability Voter Registration Week 2017

May 17, 2017 | Zach Baldwin

The REV UP Campaign coordinates National Disability Voter Registration Week (NDVRW) each year to increase the political power of people with disabilities while also engaging candidates and the media to recognize the disability community. This year NDVRW will be held on July 17-21, 2017.

 

National Disability Voter Registration Week 2017 – Organizing Call

June 9, 2017 | 1pm ET

To prepare for NDVRW on July 17-21, the REV UP Campaign will host a National Organizing Call on Friday, June 9 at 1pm Eastern Time. During this call, we will discuss the REV UP Campaign’s state coalition strategy, general voter registration strategies, and examples from current REV UP state partners. There will also be an opportunity for participants to ask questions. Register for the NDVRW Organizing Call here!

 

Hosting a Voter Registration Event

Getting people with disabilities registered to vote is the first step to increasing the political power of people with disabilities. Submit information about your event here and we will include it on the REV UP State Resources and Events page.

Voter Registration Drive Kit
ElectionTools.org gathered a collection of guidelines and tools to assist community organizations with planning and holding successful voter registration events.

Voter Registration Resource Library
Nonprofit VOTE offers a host of resources on a variety of topics relating to voter engagement. Their section on voter registration includes:

  • A Voter Registration Toolkit
  • Seven Reasons for a Nonprofit to Do Voter Registration
  • A Voter Registration Checklist
  • Voter Registration Training Video
  • Sample Script for Voter Registration
  • And much more…

Voter Engagement Toolkit
United Way offers a comprehensive voter engagement toolkit that includes a guide for planning and conducting a voter registration event. The guide also addresses voter education, connecting with candidates, ballot measures, utilizing social media, and more.

Please remember to submit information about your voter registration event through this online form. You can also email your information directly to Zach Baldwin at zbaldwin@www.aapd.com.

 

Collect Your Data!

An important part of building our political power is collecting data and building lists to show that there are many people with disabilities who are registered and plan to vote. In 2016, Rutgers University estimated that 35.4 million people with disabilities are eligible to vote – this number increases to 62.7 million eligible voters, 25% of the total electorate, when we include family members of people with disabilities. We need your help to collect data and show the impact of our efforts. Please use the National Disability Voter Registration Week Reporting Form to record the number of people you register during National Disability Voter Registration Week.

 

Get a Proclamation Declaring July 17-21 as National Disability Voter Registration Week

Get in touch with your state or local government – Governor, Mayor, City Council, County Commissioner, State Representative, etc. – and ask them to issue a Proclamation officially declaring the week of July 17-21, 2017 as National Disability Voter Registration Week. Doing so is a great way to engage your state/local officials and make them aware of the disability community as a powerful voting bloc. A Proclamation template is available here. Please send a digital copy of any Proclamations you receive to Zach Baldwin at zbaldwin@www.aapd.com.

 

Other Ways to Get Involved

Hold a press conference

 

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