Accessibility at the ballot box
People with disabilities and the elderly often face unique challenges getting accessible voter information that others may not encounter. It’s important to remember heading into Election Day on November 5 that interpretation services and assistance can be made available for those in need.
“I am deafblind,” said New York DeafBlind Advocates founder Marc Safman, who was recently awarded a REVUP! microgrant to help register more disabled voters ahead of the 2024 presidential election. He is also an Accessible Voting Advisory Committee (AVAC) member for the New York City Board of Election (BOE).
According to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s (EAC) latest report, voter turnout among those with disabilities increased in the November 2022 elections. The EAC reported about 15.8 million disabled citizens across varying demographics — like gender, race, ethnicity, age, and region — helped close but did not eliminate the turnout gap.
A big factor in boosting the vote was the decision by multiple states to make it easier to vote by mail between 2018 and 2022. New York State attempted to follow suit in 2021 by making mail-in voting permanent through a state constitutional amendment but it was voted down. The state’s lawmakers tried again in 2023, passing the No-Excuse Mail-In Voting law. Republicans filed a suit against the law, but it was upheld by the state’s Supreme Court this year.
The EAC’s 2022 post-election survey found that “14% of voters with disabilities had some type of difficulty voting” at a polling place or with a mail-in ballot. These individuals are also less likely than people without disabilities to have access to the internet for voter information, and are more likely to use non-internet sources such as printed mailings or TV, said the report.
Using the grant, Safman created a series of print voter guides in Braille and using quick scan QR codes that he’s worked to distribute to schools and organizations for the deaf and blind. The NYC Campaign Finance Board (NYCCFB) does provide a braille version of their voter guide but it’s only upon request.
“With the younger generation, there’s an emphasis on screen readers and audio,” said Safman. “And it’s not very helpful if your power goes out or if you actually want to walk away and review what you just heard.”
Safman noted that many candidate’s campaigns struggle to have adequate American Sign Language (ASL) and tactile ASL interpreters for their intended audience. Some rely on free audio description, transcriptions found on social media platforms, screen readers, or widgets and overlays on websites to be compliant with accessibility standards, said Safman, but very few invest in tools that help their message reach voters with different kinds of disabilities.
“There’s just a huge shortage of interpreters, qualified interpreters. There’s a very severe shortage of nonwhite, culturally appropriate interpreters,” said Safman. “So it’s very, very challenging.”
The NYC BOE has made strides toward meeting interpretation and language needs for disabled residents.
“We strive to provide in-person interpretation for a two-hour window during the time frame the voter plans to cast their ballot,” said the BOE’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Unit Director Ariel Merkel in an email response. “If we are unable to secure in-person interpretation, we will provide video remote interpreting (VRI) for the designated time frame.”
Voters with disabilities may request ASL or tactile interpreters by submitting a request in advance to ASLRequest@boenyc.gov. Safman suggested that voters give the BOE 48 hours notice to find an interpreter and to email at least 48 hours prior to voting with your full name, email address, phone number, date and time frame you plan to vote, and your assigned poll site.
Merkel added that voters should be able to ask poll workers on site or request a Ballot Marking Device (BMD), if they need assistance reading the ballot. Voters with other print disabilities — like blindness, low vision, dyslexia, dysgraphia, learning disabilities, and physical disabilities that limit writing abilities — can apply for an accessible ballot electronically and vote using their phone or tablet at home, however the deadline to request one online was October 26.
Voters can still apply for one in person at a county BOE through November 4, 2024.
“Voters also have the right to have someone they trust help them read and mark their ballot, as long as that person is not the voter’s employer, union representative, poll watcher or a candidate on the ballot,” said Merkel.
Lastly, Safman said that voters with mobility challenges could use discounted Uber and Lyft rides to get to the polls on Nov. 5 if they can’t arrange other transportation.
For more in depth information on how NYC BOE ensures the voting process is accessible to voters with disabilities, watch lighthouseguild.org/accessible-voting-know-your-rights/
For more information on requesting sign language interpretation at the polls, visit vote.nyc/important-notices/sign-language-poll-sites
For more information on the BMD, visit vote.nyc/page/ballot-marking-device
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