AJE wants DC residents, especially those with disabilities to know their rights – including their right to vote!

Below are some resources from our friends at Disability Rights DC, the Arc of the District of Columbia and the DC Department on Disability Services that  can help you understand voting with a disability better. 

 

People with disabilities have the #RightToHelp during every voting stage, including at the polling place. The Arc of the District of Columbia reminds us that people with disabilities can get help from poll workers, support staff, family, and friends to cast their ballots for the candidates of their choice. #VoteTogether.

For more, visit: https://www.usvotefoundation.org/disabled-voter-guide. 

 

The DC Board of Elections has a lot of great information on their home page – https://dcboe.org/, and has a section dedicated to accessible voting – https://dcboe.org/voters/accessible-voting/accessible-voting-and-language-access.  For example, if you are unable to enter a Vote Center due to a disability, seniority, or illness, you may arrange to vote from your car. Curbside Voting is available at all Vote Center locations. You can find an interactive search tool with all Vote Center locations on the Find Out Where to Vote page.

There is a very complete FAQ about Accessible voting here – https://dcboe.org/faqs/accessible-voting-and-language-access. And all voters can find their Voter Register Status here – https://apps.dcboe.org/VRS

During the elections (early voting or election day): voters with disabilities who encounter inaccessible voting locations, or who have other problems, can contact the Board of Elections (202-727-2525) or Disability Rights DC (202-547-0198) to report access problems. 

Disability Rights DC has also created a Voter Guide in English and Spanish for DC voter with disabilities –

6682b7c8f8120f6057b2b869_DRDC Voter Guide 2024 Spanish

6682b79e0ec3ea75805fd023_DRDC Voter Guide 2024 English

If you have questions or complaints about voting access, please contact DRDC at 202-547-0198 (voice) or 202-547-2657 (TTY). 

Rooted in Rights also has a short video called Disability Vote that talks about why it is important for people with disabilities to vote. It is on YouTube at – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SHvXahfDnM.

Finally, if you have questions about whether a person who is under guardianship is eligible to vote, please call Neha Patel, DDS Deputy General Counsel, at (202) 679-3142 or neha.patel@dc.gov.

For general questions about voting rights for people with disabilities, contact Crystal Thomas, Program Manager, State Office of Disability Administration, (202) 207-6853, or crystal.thomas2@dc.gov.