Last week, the Council teamed up with Vision Forward, the Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition, and the Statutory Council on Blindness for a webinar on voting rights and making your plan to vote in the November 5 election. No matter how you vote, it’s important to make your voice heard at the polls. That’s especially true for people with vision loss and other disabilities, who often face barriers to casting their ballot. In this webinar, Council Executive Director Denise Jess discussed voting rights, accessible voting options, and barriers voters have experienced in previous elections.
Prior to Election Day, it’s important to make sure you are registered to vote. You can register and/or request an absentee ballot online at MyVote.wi.gov. You can also register to vote on Election Day at your polling place. Remember that in Wisconsin, you need to show proof of address and a photo ID, such as a driver’s license or state I.D. card, in order to register.
While you are able to register on Election Day, we strongly encourage everyone to register as soon as possible. Voter registration forms are available only in print form on Election Day, meaning voters who are blind or low vision will need assistance to complete them.
You can vote absentee early either in-person at your clerk’s office or by mail. If you decide to vote absentee by mail, be sure to request your ballot as soon as possible to allow enough time for it to be mailed to you and be mailed back. Absentee ballots need to arrive by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be counted. If you return your ballot by mail, you should put it in the mailbox at least two weeks before Election Day. Voters with disabilities are legally allowed to have an assistant help to both fill out and return their ballot, either by mail, absentee ballot drop box, or at your clerk’s office. Your assistant can also help you vote on Election Day if you are voting in person.
Absentee ballots may also be returned by drop box if your community is using them in the November 5 election. Earlier this year, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that drop boxes are allowed under state law and can be used. However, some municipalities that have drop boxes have decided not to use them for this election. If you intend to use a drop box to return your ballot, you should reach out to your local clerk’s office to check if drop boxes will be used this election.
Your assistant can be anyone of your choosing, except for your boss or union steward. That includes people who are not registered to vote, like someone under 18. When your assistant delivers your ballot at the clerk’s office, they can only ask two questions: “Is this your ballot?” and “Are you returning this ballot for someone with a disability?” They are not allowed to ask for any other information.
While absentee voting is a great option for people to securely cast their ballot, they still provide barriers to voters with disabilities. Only overseas and military voters can receive their absentee ballot electronically. Everyone else must receive a paper absentee ballot. Unfortunately, paper ballots are inaccessible to voters with vision loss and those with other print-related disabilities, forcing them to rely on an assistant. Earlier this year, Disability Rights Wisconsin and the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin filed a lawsuit to allow absentee ballots to be sent electronically to voters with disabilities as well.
While a Dane County judge ruled in June to allow electronic absentee ballots for voters with print-related disabilities for the November election, an appeals court issued a temporary injunction stopping that change last month. That means electronic absentee ballots will not be available for voters with disabilities in the November election.
When voting in person on Election Day, all voters have the right to use accessible voting equipment. While there are several different models available for polling places to use, they all must be approved by the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC). These machines are not connected to the internet. They serve as a screen reader and magnifier that prints the completed ballot, allowing voters who are blind or low vision or have other print-related disabilities to securely cast their ballot. You can find more information about each machine on the WEC website at Elections.wi.gov/Accessible-Voting-Equipment.
While all polling places are legally required to have these machines on site on Election Day, there are sometimes still barriers to using them. Poll workers may not have them plugged in and ready to use. They are sometimes placed in out-of-the-way places like a closet or even a bathroom. Poll workers may not be knowledgeable enough to successfully show a voter how to use the machine. Sometimes the machines are placed facing into the polling area itself, allowing people to clearly see how you are voting. Additionally, in some communities in Rusk County, local officials have voted to violate state and federal law by removing the accessible voting machines over unfounded fears they could be used for voter fraud.
If you encounter an issue using accessible voting equipment or an assistant on Election Day, there are two things we encourage you to do: (1) Ask to speak directly with the chief inspector for your polling location or the clerk for your municipality. (2) Report the problem to the Disability Rights Wisconsin Voter Hotline at 800-347-8683. Not only can this help resolve your problem, but it helps them identify barriers that need to be addressed for future elections.
You can watch the full voting rights webinar on our Youtube page here.
