Disability Voting Rights

The Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition is a non-partisan effort to help voters with disabilities exercise their voting rights.

The November Election is rapidly approaching. The Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition has new resources and trainings to support your voting rights!

Disability Voting Rights Resources

Make Your Plan to Vote: Make your plan now to vote for the November 3rd Presidential Election. The Disability Vote Coalition has a new fact sheet to help you prepare your voting plan.

Resource for Candidates: Survival Coalition of Wisconsin Disability Organizations has a new resource to help candidates understand disability issues. Issues that Impact People with Disabilities in Wisconsin: Background Papers, provides an overview of services important to the lives of Wisconsinites with disabilities. Share this resource with candidates running to represent you, to help them to learn about services that are vital to Wisconsinites with disabilities. Find information for contacting your candidates at WisconsinVote.org or Vote411.

W.E.C. Voter Mailing Going Out September 1: On September 1, 2020, the Wisconsin Elections Commission (W.E.C.) is sending an informational mailing to approximately 2.6 million voters. The mailing will include information about the November election, and absentee ballot application, and a pre-addressed, business reply return envelope to the W.E.C. (no postage required by voter). Not all voters will receive the mailing. The mailing is only going to voters who are registered to vote in Wisconsin, not in Active Mover’s status, and did not already have a General Election absentee request on file at the end of June.

Contact Your Clerk: Visit myvote.wi.gov/en-US/MyMunicipalClerk to contact your municipal clerk or call the Disability Rights Wisconsin Voter Hotline at 1+(844) 347-8683 / 1-844-DIS-VOTE. Your clerk can also be reached via email at info@disabilityvote.org. For more information on the Disability Vote Coalition visit disabilityvote.org or call the Wisconsin Elections Commission at 1-866-VOTE-WIS. For additional information, visit elections.wi.gov or call the D.M.V. Voter I.D. Hotline at (844) 588-1069. You can apply for a free Photo I.D. for voting at the Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles (D.M.V.). For nonpartisan information about the candidates, visit Vote411.org and ballotpedia.org.

Disability Voting Trainings

September 9, 7 – 8 P.M., Your Vote Counts
Vision loss should not be a barrier to your voting rights. Vision Forward, Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition, Disability Rights Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired are teaming up to host a September 9th Zoom webinar: Your Vote Counts! Register now for this webinar.

September 16, 11:30 – 1 P.M., Voting in the Time of Pandemic: Voting Updates for the November Election:A Briefing for M.C.O.s, I.C.A.s, S.S.I. Medicaid H.M.O.s, and Stakeholders:
The Disability Vote Coalition and iCare are partnering with the Wisconsin Election Commission staff on this webinar for those who help to support people with disabilities and older adults to cast their ballot safely. M.C.O., H.M.O.s, I.C.A.s, and other service providers are encouraged to participate. Our panel of experts will share voting updates and answer your questions about voting rights. Registration is now open: Link to register for September 16th webinar.

September 22, 2 – 3 P.M., Voting Training with People First Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition and People First Wisconsin are celebrating National Voter Registration Day. Join us on Tuesday, September 22, 2- 3 P.M. to learn more about voter registration, absentee voting, voter rights, and voter resources. Be ready to vote in the November 3rd election! Register now on the D.V.C. website.

Absentee Voting Tips for Disabled Individuals

  • November 3, is Election Day. Because of the health risk of COVID 19, we are encouraging voters with disabilities to consider voting absentee this year. To vote absentee, a voter must be registered to vote, request an absentee ballot, complete the ballot, have it witnessed, and return the ballot. Your ballot must be received in time to be delivered to your polling place no later than 8 P.M. on Election Day. For guidance on voting absentee, see the D.V.C. Absentee Voting Fact Sheet for the 2020 elections.
  • Voter Assistance to complete Ballot: If you need help reading or filling out your ballot or absentee return envelope, you may ask for assistance from anyone who is not your employer or a representative of your labor union. Your assistant may also serve as your witness. Explaining how to fill out your ballot or return envelope is not “assistance.”
    • Your assistant must sign in the Certification of Voter Assistance section of your ballot.
    • Your assistant can read your ballot to you or fill out your ballot under your direction, but cannot tell you how to vote.
    • If someone signs your absentee return envelope on your behalf, make sure they also sign in the Certification of Assistant section

Have a question or concern about your voting rights? Contact the Disability Rights Wisconsin Voter Hotline. Call D.R.W. at 844-DIS-VOTE / (844) 347-8683 or email info@disabilityvote.org. We can also assist you with filing a complaint.

If you are a voter with a disability who has experienced an accessibility concern related to voting, report your concern to the Wisconsin Election Commission online or call 866-VOTE-WIS.

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