Poll Worker Training: Manual Assembly Notes
By The Catskill Center for Independence Project HAVA December 2008. This 1 page document gives information on how to put together the manual that goes with The Catskill Center for Independence PowerPoint presentation for poll workers.
A Guide to Making Documents Accessible to People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired
By Jennifer Sutton at the American Council of the Blind, 2002. This document talks about how to make print and electronic information available to people with visual impairments in a variety of accessible formats. They offer helpful advice about how to make alternate format documents as understandable as possible.
Absentee Voting by People with Disabilities: Promoting Access and Integrity
By the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, 2007. This article talks about absentee voting and accessible voting. It claims the most important reform, however, is a move toward “no excuse” absentee voting.
Alternative Accessible Formats
By The Catskill Center for Independence Project HAVA December 2008. This 2 page document talks about the what, when and why of accessible formats for voting forms and information, as well as examples of specific documents.
ASSISTING VOTERS WITH DISABILITIES: Guidelines For Providing Help To Voters Requesting Assistance
Oregon 2008, This PowerPoint presentation informs people about how voters needing help can receive it. It also covers how to help voters with disabilities, as well as what is not allowed when helping someone vote. It discusses how to vote, which is specific to Oregon, a vote-by-mail state.
Barriers to Voting in a Private, Independent and Verifiable Manner
By the American Council of the Blind, September 2002. This 6 page summary identifies barriers that make it hard for people who are blind and visually impaired to cast their votes in a private, independent, and verifiable manner. The article also talks about how these barriers may be overcome.
Blind Voters Experience Assessment Study Research Summary
By The National Federation of the Blind December 2008. This 48 slide PowerPoint presentation provides information from a research study done with legally blind voters after the 2008 presidential election. Survey questions included voting by mail or absentee ballot, voting at the polls, accessible voting machines, how they feel about their voting experiences, and suggested improvements.
Cast a Vote by Yourself: A Review of Accessible Voting Machines
From the American Foundation for the Blind. This article compares 4 electronic voting machines after testing by people who are blind and visually impaired.
CIVIC PARTICIPATION PowerPoint Presentation
By California P & A, September 2004. This 22 slide presentation talks about being a part of your local community, including (but not limited to) voting. Designed for workshops and trainings, it also includes a small group activity.
CIVIC PARTICIPATION Presentation Handout
By California P & A September 2004. This 5 page handout was designed to accompany the Civic Participation training materials prepared by the California P & A. Group members can use this to fill in information about where they live, issues that are important to them, and contact information for different groups.
CIVIC PARTICIPATION Workshop Curriculum Outline by California P & A
This workshop outline was designed to encourage people with developmental disabilities to talk with local leaders in their community by providing training on local government and strategies to talk about important issues.
Fact sheet: Disability and Voter Turnout in the 2008 Elections
By Rutgers University School of Management and Labor Relations. This 9 page report talks about data from the 2008 election, including: people who vote, a breakdown by employment status and demographics, state breakdowns in voter turnout, voter registration, and why people were not registered.
GAO ELECTIONS: States, Territories, and the District Are Taking a Range of Important Steps to…
This 129 page report investigates the mix of voting methods and systems that were used in the 2006 general election. The report talks about Voting Locations, Choosing Voting Systems, Testing of Voting Systems, and Voting System Problems.
GAO Full Report VOTERS WITH DISABILITIES: Access to Polling Places and Alternative Voting Methods
October 2001, This 97 page report looks at state and local practices for making voting accessible, both at polling places and with voting accommodations. It also estimates the number of polling places with things that might help or cause problems with access. It talks about improving voting accessibility.
GAO Testimony ELECTIONS: Electronic Voting Offers Opportunities and Presents Challenges Released
This 47 page document gives information about the Help America Vote Act and electronic voting machines. It talks about problems with current voting systems.
Guidelines for Creating Understandable Voter Information
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This eleven page document shows how to create easy to understand information for voters. It includes examples.
Letter to NIST on Voting Machines
By Janna Starr Director of Disability Rights and Technology Policy, The Arc of the United States and United Cerebral Palsy. This letter talks about guidelines for making voting systems accessible for people with cognitive or intellectual disabilities. It gives examples of ways to help people with cognitive disabilities.
Ohio Directive – Reasonable Accommodation for Disabled Absentee Voters who are Homebound
The court’s order requires all 88 county boards of elections to provide an opportunity for voters with disabilities to correct errors on their absentee ballot envelopes at the request of those voters. This information was created after a court ruling in the case Ray v. the Franklin County Board of Elections, et al.,. on November 17, 2008.
Poll Worker Information Sheet
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This two page document for poll workers gives information about how to help voters with disabilities. It includes information on posting signs, communicating clearly and respectfully, and what information to provide.
Polling Site Interiors Reference and Reminders
By The Catskill Center for Independence. This 2 page guide includes information on designing polling places to be fully accessible.
Pollworkers: Working with Voters with Disabilities by The Catskill Center for Independence Project HAVA
This 35 slide training for poll workers was designed to provide poll workers and other election officials with information about the requirements of the Help America Vote Act. Topics include: disability awareness, service animals, physical accessibility for polling sites and other information from HAVA.
Protection & Advocacy Voting Access Programs Helping to Expand and Ensure Access to Polling Places
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By the National Disability Rights Network August 2009. This 24 page report talks about voting laws and prior GAO reports on voting access and polling places. It talks about how P & A programs are improving accessibility at the polls.
Quick Tips and Election Day Reminders
By The Catskill Center for Independence Project HAVA December 2008. This 2 page document gives quick day-of-voting information about polling place layout, signage, sample ballots and obstacles.
The Power of VOTING! Voting Guide by the National Youth Leadership Network
This 9 page voting guide is aimed at youth with disabilities. It provides information (including web links) on voting laws, registering to vote, ways of voting, accessing polling places, and finding information on candidates and issues.
The Power of VOTING! Voting Guide SPANISH by the National Youth Leadership Network
This 9 page voting guide IN SPANISH is aimed at youth with disabilities. It provides information (including web links) on voting laws, registering to vote, ways of voting, accessing polling places, and finding information on candidates and issues.
The Riot! October 2008 Elections Issue
This is the 2008 Elections Issue of The Riot!, an e-newsletter from the Self-Advocate Leadership Network. This issue talks about the 2008 election, as well as general voting issues.
US Election Assistance Commission Management Guide on Elderly and Disabled Voters in Long Term Care
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This guide is designed to highlight and summarize information from the Election Management Guidelines. It talks about voting accessibility issues for seniors and people with disabilities in Long Term Care Facilities.
Video: Beth White, election official in Indiana, talks about barriers to voting
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Video: Gayle Gardner from Oregon talks about confusing ballots
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Video: Julie Petty from Arkansas talks about barriers to voting
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Video: Rude poll worker
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Video: The poll worker asks where your guardian is
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Video: The poll worker says you can’t vote
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Video: You are in the voting booth and you don’t know what to do
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Video: You don’t know how to get information
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Vote Oregon! How to Assist Voters with Disabilities
By the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office, 2004. This short brochure covers the basics of helping people with disabilities to vote in Oregon. It talks about: providers’ responsibilities, who can provide assistance, who cannot provide assistance, rules and guidelines, voting the ballot, providing a replacement ballot, and returning the ballot.
VOTE. It’s Your Right: A Guide to the Voting Rights of People with Mental Disabilities
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By the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law and National Disability Rights Network, 2008.This 37 page Voting Guide explains the rights of voters with mental disabilities. It can be a resource for people with mental disabilities, advocates, family members, service providers, election officials, and others. The guide focuses on four areas: voter-competence requirements, state photo-ID laws, voter challenges and providing help to voters with disabilities. It includes a chart listing each state’s voter-competence laws.
Voting Guide – Indiana 2008
This easy to understand Voting Guide by The Indiana Protection and Advocacy System shares information about registering to vote, preparing to vote, and voting in Indiana.
YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE PowerPoint Presentation
By California P & A, September 2004. This 18 slide presentation talks about why people should vote, how and where to vote, and voting rights. Designed for workshops and trainings, it also includes a group game.
Your Voice Your Vote Kentucky Protection & Advocacy Voting Guide September 2004
This 18 page voting guide clearly explains voting rights, who is eligible to vote, and instructions for people with disabilities in Kentucky.
Your Voice Your Vote PowerPoint Presentation by Kentucky Protection & Advocacy September 2004
This PowerPoint presentation was created to go with the Your Voice Your Vote voting guide. This broad presentation covers voting rights, who is eligible to vote, and instructions for people with disabilities in Kentucky.