A key part of a democracy is holding elections that are open and accessible to everyone who is eligible to vote and are conducted fairly. Yet, people with disabilities have been shown to face more problems when voting. This number might go up because 14 states have put new voting restrictions in place for the 2024 presidential election. These include having shorter periods for absentee ballots, limiting who can aid a person in returns, earlier voter registration deadlines, and more. However, Michigan is 1 of 23 states that passed voting laws to make the process easier, which will apply to this election cycle. Learn how Michigan law empowers its residents to use their vote:
1. Absentee Ballots
These ballots may have been the most important method for raising the participation of voters, including those with disabilities. Michigan law has made this a choice since the 2020 pandemic-era election. A 2021 Rutgers University survey found that 74% of people with disabilities nationwide voted absentee or early in person. This way of voting helped lower the amount of reported difficulties by people with disabilities from 30% in 2012 to 18% in 2020.
- Absentee ballots allow voters people with disabilities to avoid the chaos of crowded voting stations and allow an assistant to aid in their completion.
- Voters with print disabilities may also apply for an electronic ballot with this link, which can be printed and returned to their local clerk’s office. When doing so, voters also have the choice to automatically be registered for electronic absentee ballots every election
- There doesn’t have to be a reason to vote absentee, though, and any registered voter can opt for one in Michigan.
- You can ask for one from the Department of State’s website with this link. You don’t have to finish it until 5 p.m. the Friday before election day, although it’s recommended to apply 2 weeks before to avoid delays with the mail.
2. Early In-Person Voting
While voting on Election Day has become a more realistic choice for people with disabilities in Michigan, early in-person voting has become increasingly popular. As mentioned in the above portion, early in-person voting has greatly contributed to the decline in reported problems surrounding voting for people with disabilities.
- Early in-person voting became a constitutional right in Michigan in November 2022. This law will go into effect starting with the 2024 presidential election and continue for every federal and state level election after.
- Anyone can vote early, not just individuals with disabilities, and you can click this link to find the nearest early voting station near you. Whilst it varies by every center, you can vote up to 29 days before Election Day with the lowest being nine.
- Before going, it’s suggested a person is registered to vote at their local clerk’s office. You cannot register to vote at a strictly just early voting location. However, if the center resides in a person’s local clerk’s office, they may register to vote the day they go in person on site.
- Similar to voting on Election Day, a person may bring a valid form of photo identification as suggested by this list. Or a person can sign a document that says they don’t have a photo ID on them.
3. In Person Voting Accessibility
If someone with a disability chooses to vote in person on Election Day, polling stations must follow a couple of rules. First, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates revisions at public spaces to help people with disabilities partake in all parts of society, including voting.
- This means that all polling places must admit service animals, and in Michigan, as of 2023, Public Act 75 of 2022 lets service animals in training to be admitted as well.
- Also, the ADA says that reasonable changes must be made to allow for equal participation. This can be done with temporary physical altercations to inaccessible buildings or by arranging wide pathways from check-in tables to voting stations. This includes offering the choice to send someone into the center and ask for curbside voting.
- Once a person with a disability comes to the voting station, they may ask for help like language translation from a poll worker. Or they can bring anyone of their choice unless that person is their employer, an agent of their employer, or an officer of their union.
- A poll worker cannot force another person to accept their help.
4. Voter Assist Terminals
The Help America Vote Act of 2002 orders there to be at least one accessible voting system for people with disabilities at each polling place in federal elections.
- This typically manifests in the form of voting stations designed for people who are seated and voter assist terminals. They are touch screen machines that will mark a ballot with the voter’s choice and will be counted along with the other ballots.
- Michigan polling stations differ on which terminals they use based on the county, with either Hart Voting Systems, Dominion Voting Systems, or ES and S Voting System. Click on this link to discover how each system works.
- Genesee County uses the Hart Voting System.
- All the voting terminals have a control panel of some kind and more than 1 screen so you can verify your choices.