DIGITAL VERSION OF GET OUT THE VOTE Word From Washington January 1996 United Cerebral Palsy Associations Advancing the independence, productivity and full citizenship of people with disabilities. Word From Washington January 1996 SPECIAL ISSUE ON VOTING {Cover image: black and white line drawing by Mike Ripple, about four inches wide by four inches high. Sign at table says Register to Vote, with three persons (with disabilities) in the image. One person writing at table has a dog. One person in a wheelchair sits at table. Other person standing has prosthetic leg. Balloons in background. Two figures look male, all three look white, although images are not gender or race specific. Caption at bottom says FULL CITIZENSHIP!. Blue ink to right says A NONPARTISAN GUIDE TO VOTING} CONTENTS Democracy In Action: Getting Out the Vote --Page 2 Why Non-Profit Disability Services Agencies Should Register Their Customers To Vote-- Page 5 National Voter Registration Act (NVRA): What NVRA Says About Nonprofits and Update---Page 6 Disability Community and Presidential Voting--Page 8 How to Increase Voter Registration--Page 9 Basic Information for a Registration Brochure-- pg 10 Different Deadlines by State for Registering to Vote -- pg 11 Fun Activity to Educate About the Democratic Process-- pg 12 Nonprofits Can Make Voter Registration Easy -- pg 12 5 Easy Action Steps for Volunteer Voter Registration Drive--Pg 13 Action Plan for Advocacy Committees to Increase Participation in the Election Process-- pg 14 Simple Solutions by Disability Services Organizations-- pg 14 Rewarding Voter Registrants-- pg 15 On Duplicate Voter Registration-- pg 15 Rules of the Road To Stay Nonpartisan for NonProfits-- pg 16 What One Individual Can Do-- pg 17 Techniques to Access the Disability Vote For Candidates--page 18 Disability Litmus Tests: How to Assess the Candidates -- pg 18 Absentee Voting -- pg 19 Federal Election Commission (FEC) Information--page 20 TX Election Officer Discriminated Against Blind Persons -- pg 21 Action Steps When Faced With Barriers At Local Polling Places -- pg 21 Summary of Title II ADA (State & Local Govt. Services) -- pg 22 Common Distortion Tactics Used in Campaigns-- pg 22 State Governors, their Party, Address, Phone Number and Terms of Office -- pg 21-25 Chief Election Officers by State -- pg 26 DEMOCRACY IN ACTION: GETTING PEOPLE REGISTERED AND GETTING THEM OUT TO VOTE {small round graphic images of democrat and republican inserted in text at beginning of discussion here.} State and local elections are becoming ever more important. 49 million Americans with disabilities, their families and friends are waking up to a new political reality of budget cuts and block grants. These are significant political changes and will result in transformation of social services delivery at the local level. The 1996 Presidential election commands passion and headlines. But as power decentralizes or devolves from Washington in the form of more block grants to states, it is clear that local officials will exercise more power and control over the everyday lives of all citizens, and especially those with disabilities. {graphic image of dollar here} From the state governor to town and county welfare officials, the power of other people's money -- that is taxes collected and disbursed as public spending -- will become restructured in new and possibly exciting ways. This is both a crisis for the disability community, as the amount of money will shrink, and an opportunity to influence developing infrastructures for the common good of every child and adult with a disability across the age span. ÀÀ Local, county and state elected representatives will control more of the taxpayers' money and will receive less direction in the form of federal mandates and in the name of state flexibility. ÀÀ State legislatures and administrations will have much greater power as they will be setting the rules and designing the programs. ÀÀ Local bureaucrats will be contracting for services and can be held responsible by elected officials. ÀÀ To know who are these officials and holding them accountable for responsive and responsible policies to persons with disabilities and their families is empowerment. {graphic image of a scroll or official document here} The disability community knows it cannot afford to be 'a sleeping giant' during the next 12 months and must exercise its rights or lose them. Congressional primaries and state and local elections occur in every state in 1996. The community of persons with disabilities must do its part to ensure decisions are made that reflect advancing their independence. Voting is a fundamental constitutional right and a responsibility as a citizen! This Word From Washington is to be used in many ways to ensure that the community of persons with disabilities -- their family members, their advocates, staff at nonprofit disability and other human services organizations, persons running disability-related businesses, medical equipment and other services suppliers, and others -- understand the power of the ballot box when it comes to disability issues. To accomplish this means knowing . how easy it is to vote; . how to organize voter registration; . how easy it is to get involved in the political process; . how to play a key role in the empowerment of states by bringing in persons with disabilities and their families as community friends in local and state election processes. As an advocate, you can create a State Fact Sheet. By taking all the information from the tables and charts that pertains to your state. E.g., from the table on Page 10, "Different Deadlines by State for Registering to Vote," from the table "State Governors, their Addresses, Affiliation and Terms of Office" (Page 23). Combining this information on one page provides critical information to persons with disabilities. The State Fact Sheet could be combined with a flyer that includes a particular state's Mail In Voter Registration Form from the chief state election office found in the listing on Page 27. {put the following as a graphic in the text here} FIVE EASY ACTION STEPS FOR A VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE on Page 13} {end of graphic box} Including information on how a representative voted will help educate persons with disabilities and their associates about how elected officials stand on various issues. As a nonpartisan agency or advocate, you do not have to agree or disagree with the stand. Just getting the facts out speaks volumes about how elected officials consider the interests of persons with disabilities. For instance, your state legislature's Ways & Means subcommittee may have voted very favorably or very negatively on a certain disability-specific item or on a key civil rights issue. Publishing these votes and statements within the state are a public service to persons with disabilities and their families members as it lets them know where their local representative stands on an issue. Tips on organizing voter registration drives are found on Pages 11 through 19 and show how easy this can be. More than 40% of the disability community is now registered to vote. It is essential that the rest get on board! The story on "Disability Community and Presidential Voting" (Page 8) reporting on Harris polling about how the disability vote influenced the 1988 presidential race inspires us with effectiveness of 'the disability clout.' Guidelines for non-partisan behavior, "Rules of the Road To Stay Nonpartisan for NonProfits," are on Page 16 and must be strictly adhered to by nonprofit organizations so as to not jeopardize legal status and to stay scrupulously nonpartisan. In summary, disability services organizations trust people with and without disabilities to be able to make up their own minds about candidates and on the issues. Just as nonprofit organizations don't care what party or affiliation their customers have, they are only interested in ensuring that voting is made easier for these customers. Disability organizations can offer unique services to support our nation's democratic process through recognizing the difficulties persons with disabilities and their families may encounter in trying to vote by directly assisting them. In fact, a federal law -- the National Voter Registration Act -- requires organizations that receive federal funds to deliver voter registration service at the same level of service they offer their other services (discussion on Page 6). {put the following as a box within the text here, should be large font bolded and in a box} Q. Can my agency place posters on voting in conspicuous places? Answer found on Page 16. {end of box} While the update on the National Voter Registration Act (Page 6) explains some of the problems remaining systemically, the story about how a "Texas Election Officer Discriminates Against Blind Persons" (Page 21) tells how persons with disabilities still face architectural and procedural barriers to voting. Texas disability advocates are advocating for telephone or other electronic means of casting votes as a solution to inaccessible balloting! Their position underscores how technology is once again a critical component of change for persons with disabilities, and how persons with disabilities are at the forefront of such changes. This update is followed by a list of Action Steps that can be taken locally to combat the practical and procedural barriers. More and more individuals in the disability community are becoming 'political junkies'. This means getting very savvy about local politics and politicians, about electoral processes and how ballots get counted. For instance, Jim Tuscher, an alert disability advocate in Missouri, heard about a candidate for state representative losing by five votes because the absentee ballots of twenty-four persons with disabilities were not going to be counted because they were not notarized. His call to the Election Board and the candidate's lawyers reminded them that because of the "Voting Accessibility for the Elderly & Handicapped Act of 1984", notarization could NOT be required. The absentee ballots were then counted and the candidate gained 16 votes and won the election! One advocate calling up and saying "Hey, ... You gotta count them" changed an election. Not only does this show how few votes can make a difference at the state legislative level, but also knowing who to call and watching how votes get counted could mean once again 'the disability vote' makes the difference. (See Page 19 for details on absentee voting). {put the following as a graphic block in the text here, bolded and italicized} Ideas for what one individual can do to make sure persons with disabilities exercise their fundamental constitutional right and responsibilities as a citizen to vote on Page 17. {end of box} The "Techniques to Access the Disability Vote for Candidates Running for Office" list (Page 18) may be something to take to a candidate to provide technical assistance on disability issues. It is also a way to influence the democratic process. It is still true that one individual, making an act that is seemingly small, is a change agent leading to major systems change. Critical Problem: It is still true that GETTING OUT THE VOTE includes an additional step for many persons with disabilities, and their family members who vote. Transportation to Polling Places and Needing Help With Filling Out Forms were identified as critical problems in a snapshot survey conducted by the national UCPA office recently on why persons with severe physical disabilities do not vote despite a willingness to register and a desire to vote. Not every person with a disability will do what one citizen in Texas did. Margaret Robinson of Amarillo, who is paralyzed from her mid-chest down following a pickup truck accident, realized that she could not vote from her hospital bed so she pulled out her intravenous line and arrived twenty minutes before polls closed to cast her vote in her hospital gown! Assistance with transportation and form completion are two areas of functional activity that can be provided by disability services organizations, and other advocacy groups, to ensure that all registered voters actually vote. Nationwide about 70 percent of all registered voters vote in elections; there are very good reasons why this percentage should, and must, be higher for persons with disabilities, their families and advocates. The article on Page 5, "Why Non-Profit Disability Services Agencies Should Register Their Customers To Vote," highlights some of these points. Every American with a disability is expected to and must be registered to vote. So too must every family member and person associated with persons with disabilities. Remember that with historic passage of ADA, civil rights were won. Exercising of rights includes voting in and voting out the people who enact legislation that directly affects disability benefits, disability services, disability programs. If a person with a disability doens't like what an elected official is doing, vote 'em out! That's a right! --Jenifer Simpson, Governmental Activities, Community Services Division Note: Any and all of this information can be broadly disseminated via photocopying or duplication in newsletters, electronic bulletin board systems and any other means necessary that individuals and organizations have already developed for education projects Advocates are encouraged to duplicate one or more of the pages form this special WfW, citing the source. If items are required in electronic format, please contact Jenifer Simpson at the UCPA national office at 1660 L Street, N.W., Suite 700, Washington, DC 20036. Fax (202) 785-3508 or email jeniferjs@aol.com. {put the following as a quote in italics at the bottom of the editorial page} A popular government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives. -- James Madison, 1822 {end of box} {insert table here as a two column half page box} YOU MUST KNOW THIS!! 1996 CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARY DATES (in order by date, earliest first) State Date Maryland March 5 Mississippi March 12 Texas March 12 Illinois March 19 Ohio March 19 California March 26 Mississippi Runoff April 2 Texas Runoff April 9 Pennsylvania April 23 Indiana May 7 North Carolina May 7 Nebraska May 14 West Virginia May 14 Arkansas May 21 Oregon May 21 Idaho May 28 Kentucky May 28 Alabama June 4 Iowa June 4 Montana June 4 New Jersey June 4 New Mexico June 4 South Dakota June 4 North Carolina Runoff June 4 Maine June 11 North Dakota June 11 South Carolina June 11 Virginia June 11 Arkansas Runoff June 11 South Dakota Runoff June 11 Utah June 25 Alabama Runoff June 25 South Carolina Runoff June 25 Georgia July 16 Tennessee August 1 Kansas August 6 Michigan August 6 Missouri August 6 Georgia Runoff August 6 Colorado August 13 Wyoming August 20 Alaska August 27 Oklahoma August 27 Nevada September 2 Florida September 3 Delaware September 7 Arizona September 10 Connecticut September 10 Minnesota September 10 New Hampshire September 10 New York September 10 Rhode Island September 10 Vermont September 10 Wisconsin September 10 Massachusetts September 17 Washington September 17 Oklahoma Runoff September 17 Hawaii September 21 Louisiana September 21 Florida October 1 Election Day November 5 Action Steps To Getting Out The Congressional Primary Vote: 1. Find your state and note the date for your Congressional primary on your calendar. 2. If you are not yet registered to vote, or know people who are not, make sure they are registered to vote by this date. 3. On the date of the primary, make sure you vote. 4. Make sure everyone you know also votes. Help them to the polling place, if necessary. {end of table} Why Non-Profit Disability Services Agencies Must Register Their Customers To Vote Cuts to services for adults with disabilities and to families that have children with disabilities are making news daily. Legislative proposals to block grant and consequently re-structure services are pending enactment at federal and state levels. So customers of such services should have the fullest opportunity to participate in the political process. Many such persons, unfortunately, are not registered to vote. There are 65 million unregistered citizens nationally, or two out of three in households below the national median income level. The fate of human services delivery agencies could well be decided at the polls in the next round of local, state and federal elections! The National Voter Registration Act, often referred to as NVRA or 'Motor Voter', requires states to remedy this problem by permitting registering of voters at state-funded offices that provide services to people on AFDC, food stamps, Medicaid, WIC, drivers' licensing or disability services. The NVRA specifically permits private sector voter registration such as by UCPA affiliates, or other nonprofit groups. Disability services agencies can accomplish voter registration as a service they offer in conjunction with other service provision as a nonpartisan public service. This can be accomplished at reception desks, during intake processes, or other special events and it can be conducted as part of the routine business of the agency or organization. {put a box in the text here} Voter registration, by nonprofit agencies, can be accomplished at reception desks, during intake processes, or other special events and it can be conducted as part of the routine business of the agency or organization. {end of box with a line around it} Studies indicate that seventy percent of people who are registered to vote by volunteer canvassers in human services offices actually go to the polls in presidential elections. And their votes will determine election outcomes. The 1994 elections were determined by differences in registration and turnout, for instance. A side or party or group who registers voters and gets its supporters to the polls gets its candidate to win. Conservative candidates benefitted from the growing capacity of the Religious Right to register and to activate constituents through church auditoriums, televangelist shows and talk radio. Organized labor, on the other hand, which traditionally used to conduct reach out, and to register and assist people to the polls, has shrunk in the wake of de-industrialization and thus now makes less impact at the polls. {new box in the text with a line around it. the following words were graphically illustrated in a letter format with a pen beside it.} "Data demonstrate that 1 to 3 points of President Elect Bush's 7 point margin of victory [was} directly attributable to the swing in disabled voters from their traditional Democratic leanings toward the President-Elect after he pledged to include disabled voters in the mainstream." --from a letter to Governor John H. Sununu, Chief of Staff Designee for President-Elect George Bush, November 29, 1988, from Louis Genevie, Ph.D., Vice President, Louis Harris & Associates, Inc., as a result of a study entitled "Voting Intentions During the 1988 Election: A Comparison of Disabled and Non-Disabled Voters". {end of box with a line around it} If disability services organizations ensured voter registration of every adult with a disability that they serve and their family members, the U.S. Congress might think twice before it passed legislation slashing disability services programs further. Registering voters is a public service activity that will facilitate advancing the independence of people with disabilities and will sustain one of the world's most diverse democracy. {Insert the following as a graphic across bottom of this Page. Should be bolded and italicized}} MAKE SURE YOU ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE! MAKE SURE ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE! REMEMBER--EVERY VOTE IS COUNTED! {end of box} WHAT MOTOR VOTER SAYS ABOUT NONPROFIT AGENCIES People with disabilities were included under the requirements of the National Voter Registration Act as Congress felt that people with disabilities are too often left out of voter registration activities. NVRA requires agencies that provide services to people with disabilities, and which receive federal funds, to offer voter registration. This can be done at intake, at change of address and at re-certification points. Furthermore, those agencies that provide people with services must bring the same level of service to the individuals in executing voter registration. For instance, if an agency coordinates the work of Independent Living Assistants who visit homes each day, they can bring registration cards for their clients, they can them help fill out and then get the voter registration card to the election board. Another example could involve paratransit service provided by a disability agency which is funded by state Medicaid funds. Since most of the recipients of this transportation service do not require an office visit as business is mostly conducted via dispatch over the phone, the help of paratransit staff can be involved in voter registration activities. Reps. Wendell Ford (D-KY) and Al Swift (R-OR), co-sponsors of the original Motor Voter bill when first introduced, had read into the Congressional Record, that it was their intent that the paratransit driver for instance should bring voter registration cards when picking up a person for ride, offer assistance to fill out the card (such as when the person cannot write or cannot see) and then offer the assistance of mailing if necessary. {put the following in a box italicized & bolded here} NVRA requires agencies that provide services to people with disabilities, and which receive federal or state funds, to offer voter registration. The law specifically states that the level of service offered to the client by the agency should be the same level of service offered in voter registration. {end of box} The kinds of agencies covered by the law are vocational rehabilitation state agencies and their contractees, independent living centers, commissions for the deaf and blind, developmental disabilities councils, protection and advocacy agencies, UCPs, ARCs, Easter Seals, among thousands of other possible disability services organizations. If such agencies have a state contract they must do voter registration under NVRA. Agencies can and are encouraged to register the family and friends of persons with disabilities. Also, any agency that wants to do voter registration can do it even if not required under the law (that is, if they don't receive state money) and they want to do it. The NVRA eliminated all of the very cumbersome registration procedures that used to exist. Agency staff no longer have to be deputized, or have to go to training sessions. The chief election officer for a state must provide the agency with voter registration cards, no matter how many they ask for. If an agency, e.g, a state medicaid agency, can re-design its intake form to do so, NVRA urges incorporation of the voter registration form into a combined intake voter registration form if the agency chooses to do so to save time and resources. {put the following as a box in the text here} Five million people registered to vote or updated their voter registrations under the National Voter Registration Act ("motor voter") in thirty-eight states between January and June 1995. --Were you among these? {end of box in text here} UPDATE ON NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION ACT OR "MOTOR VOTER" Five million people registered to vote or updated their voter registrations under the National Voter Registration Act ("motor voter") in thirty-eight states between January and June 1995, according to an aggregated count from the offices of the chief election official of each state. This represents the largest increase in voter registration in American history. The trend is upward as more states begin implementation and others work out system flaws. Two million registration transactions occurred in the January through March quarter of 1995, and 3 million in the April-June quarter. Between four and five million persons should register in the July-September quarter as California, Illinois and Pennsylvania begin implementation after failed legal challenges to the 'motor voter' law. Some advocates project as many as 20 million new and updated voter registrations to occur by the 1996 presidential election. Disability advocates expect a significant number of the new registrations to be persons with disabilities and their family members. {put the following as a box here within the text} Motor Voter has simplified the voter registration process and has led to an increase of more than 2 million new voter registrations across the country. Examples include:-- . Georgia: 180,000 people registered between January and March in 1995, compared to only 85,000 persons during the same time last year. . Alabama: 43,000 people registered to vote in the first three months of this year, compared to only 23,000 people during the same period last year. {end of box with a line around it.} Background President Bill Clinton signed the motor voter law on May 20, 1993, "The National Voter Registration Act" (NVRA or P.L. 103-000). The NVRA represents an historic advance in the struggle to win full enfranchisement of all Americans, including the poor, racial and ethnic minorities and those with disabilities. NVRA accomplishes the goal of furthering full voting registration by requiring states to offer voter registration services through the mail and at drivers' license, public assistant and disability agencies. It also requires states to establish uniform nondiscriminatory procedures to maintain the voter registration rolls and it prohibits states from removing voters who choose not to vote. Legal Battles Lawsuits have occurred in eleven states where governors or legislatures refused to comply with the mandate of the NVRA. In addition to Indiana, which signed a Consent Decree allowing implementation to begin on time, there have been five court decisions in three states, all in favor of the NVRA. Motor Voter in Virginia The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) sued the Commonwealth of Virginia in July 1995 to ensure that it would comply with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, popularly referred to as "Motor Voter." Unlike most states which had to comply by January 1, 1995, Virginia was granted an additional year in order to amend its state constitution. Virginia passed a bill this year but the Governor vetoed it. Then the state sued the DOJ alleging the law is unconstitutional. DOJ's current countersuit seeks an order required Virginia to comply with the law on March 6, 1996. Other states sued by the DOJ include Illinois, Pennsylvania, California,, South Carolina and Michigan. The U.S. District Courts in Illinois, California and Pennsylvania upheld the constitutionality of the Act and ordered those states to comply. {put the following as a graphic here in the text with a box line around it} To register to vote in the metropolitan Washington D.C. area call the following numbers: DC -- (202) 727-2525 MD -- (800) 222-VOTE VA -- (703) 222-0776 {end of box within the text here} Status in Other States In California and Illinois, both the District Courts and the Circuit Courts of Appeals found the NVRA constitutional and required the states to begin implementation on June 19 and August 14, 1995 respectively. Pennsylvania lost its challenge of the law in District Court but chose not to appeal and has since begun implementation (effective July 1, 1995). Cases are still pending in seven states: Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Virginia and WfW readers will be updated in future issues. {put the following in a box with a line around here} "We can't understand why any elected official would stand in the way of making it easier to register to vote," said Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Deval L. Patrick. "It is unfortunate that taxpayer dollars would be wasted fighting a legal battle that has lost in the courts time and time again." {end of box} Why NVRA Implementation is Important Among western democracies, the U.S. ranks twenty-third in the turnout of its eligible population! Many democracies have a turnout of over 85 percent whereas only 53 percent of the eligible population votes in the U.S. With implementation of NVRA, advocates for full enfranchisement expect as many as 62 percent of the eligible electorate to vote in the next (1996) presidential election. Full enfranchisement means that more citizens are involved in the democratic process and that 'the government' more truly represents and reflects the interests of its citizens. One of government's central tasks is the spending of 'other people's money,' that is taxes collected from everyone. Unless every person with a disability and their family member votes, allocation of spending may not reflect the needs and desires of such citizens. {put the following in a box with a line around it in the text here. Bolded italicized text} Many democracies have a turnout of over 85 percent whereas only 53 percent of the eligible population votes in the U.S. {end of bolded box quote} Registered Voters Vote Regardless of Income Level Election data show that once registered, people do vote. This trend does not vary greatly by income or education level. While an overwhelmingly 89.5 percent of registered voters actually voted in the 1992 presidential election, 82 percent of registered voters with incomes below $20,000 a year voted and 80 percent of registered voters with no high school education (0-eight years of education) voted. Additionally, over the last twenty-four years, 85 percent of all registered voters turned out for presidential elections, leading the U.S. Census Bureau to conclude that people go to the polls if they are registered. The table below summarizes how successful the Act has been through voter registration at motor vehicle services offices in nine selected states. Mail-in registration is also quite successful, as are public assistance offices. Large numbers can indicate states that have high influx of immigration from other states or may indicate low levels of registration by usual means. The low level of registration through Disability Agencies may indicate unawareness of the law's requirements or lack of initiative and leadership where a need still needs to be addressed. {the following is a table in the text showing nine states voter registration counts through DMV offices, public assistance, disability agencies and through mail in or recruitment offices.} IMPACT OF NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION ACT OF 1993 DURING THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 1995 NINE SELECTED STATES STATE Through Motor Vehicle officesThrough Public Assistance offices Through Disability AgenciesMail-InRecruit-ment OfficesOther. E.g., election office TOTAL AL 24,56331,272 -- 8,203-- 14,153 78,191 CT 7,508 863 71 7,469 15 16,253 32,179 FL 375,94782,195 4,357 129,310457 135,357 727,623 GA 205,99644,901 1,067 29,196122 30,006 311,288 KY 68,08425,977 990 3,033 8 41,212 139,304 LA 15,796 6,712 328 4,730 11 90 27,667 NY 137,01957,272 746 216,701-- 5,433 417,171 TN 41,43849,491 -- 24,360106 23,673 139,068 DISABILITY COMMUNITY AND PRESIDENTIAL VOTING The final Harris poll for the 1992 Presidential campaign showed critical impact by the disability community in voting patterns. According to Harris polling, about 10 percent of all voters were voters with disabilities. 52 percent of persons with disabilities voted for then candidate Bill Clinton. About 27 percent voted for the incumbent, George Bush, and another 21 percent voted for Ross Perot. In 1988, the story was somewhat different. Unlike Democratic contender Michael Dukakis, Republican candidate George Bush actively spoke of his support for the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and promised to bring "43 million disabled Americans into our economic mainstream." Harris polls showed a 33 percent shift in the disability vote from Dukakis to Bush in the months between the Democratic Convention and election. Although voters with disabilities were still more likely to vote Democratic in the 1988 presidential election due, most likely, to economic factors, George Bush lost the 'disability vote' by only 5 percentage points to Michael Dukakis. Harris surveys tracking the voting intentions of persons with disabilities showed Bush making strong gains among this group before the election as he spoke directly to the concerns of voters with disabilities in several appearances, including in his acceptance speech at the Republican convention, which seemed to help him. However, in 1992 Bill Clinton swung voters with disabilities who had voted for George Bush in 1988 to his side. Although both candidates Clinton and Bush had papers on disability issues, and both promised strong enforcement of ADA, late in the campaign George Bush backed away from visible support of disability civil rights. This withdrawal likely caused the swing. Analysts also believe that the Democrats' campaign involved more persons with disabilities in the campaign both in process and in the development of the content of issues --such as health care reform, a major 'single interest' issue of the disability community and for then candidate Bill Clinton -- and this contributed to the 'Clinton disability vote'. {put the following as a graphic box here} People with disabilities form a large, but often overlooked, block of voters. There are more voters with disabilities than black voters, for example, but they receive much less attention from the candidates, the parties and the media. In total, persons with disabilities comprise at least 13 percent of the population and are 10 percent of those who actually vote. --According to Humphrey Taylor of The Harris Poll, 1992. {end of box} {new box. material shown as a graphic image as a letter with a pen beside it} "... this document will serve as a reminder to those running for political office in the future that the vote of the disabled people can not be ignored."... --Louis Genevie, Ph.D., Vice President, Louis Harris & Associates, New York, in a Nov. 10, 1988 letter commenting on the Louis Harris Poll polling results on disability voting. {end of box} {please put the following as a box within the text} DIFFERENT DEADLINES BY STATE FOR REGISTERING TO VOTE It is important to remember that there is a deadline to register in time to vote in any upcoming election. Usually an application to register as a voter must be postmarked (or delivered to a local voter registration office) by a certain deadline. These deadlines differ by state, as follows: Alabama..... 10 days before election; Alaska...... 30 days before election; Arizona..... 29 days before election; Arkansas.... 21 days before election; California.. 29 days before election; Colorado.... 30 days before election; Connecticut. 14 days before election; Delaware.... 20 days before election; Distr. of Columbia 30 days before election; Florida..... 29 days before election; Georgia..... 4th Friday before any general primary, general election or presidential preference primary or the 9th day after the date of the call for all other special primaries and special elections; Hawaii...... 30 days before election; Idaho....... 25 days before election; Illinois.... 29 days before; Indiana..... 29 days before; Iowa........ 10 days before, but if a state primary or general election 11 days before all others and registration forms which are postmarked 15 or more days before an election are considered on time even if received after the deadline; Kansas...... delivered 15 days before the election; Kentucky.... 28 days before; Louisiana... 24 days before; Maine....... 15 days before the election or delivered in person up to and including election days; Maryland.... 9:00 PM on the 5th Monday before the election; Massachusetts 20 days before the election; Michigan.... 30 days before the election; Minnesota... must be delivered by 5 PM 21 days before the election, but registration permitted at polling places on election day; Mississippi. 30 days before; Missouri.... 28 days before; Montana..... 30 days before; Nebraska.... 4th Tuesday before the election (or delivered by 6 PM on the 2nd Friday before the election; Nevada...... 9 PM on the 5th Saturday before any primary or general election or 9 PM on the 3rd Saturday before any recall or special election; New Hampshire must be received by city or town clerk 10 days before election; New Jersey.. 29 days before; New Mexico.. 28 days before; New York.... 25 days before; North Carolina 25 days before; North Dakota does not have voter registration application; Ohio........ 30 days before the election; Oklahoma....25 days before; Oregon......21 days before; Pennsylvania 30 days before election or a primary; Rhode Island30 days before; South Carolina, 30 days before; South Dakota, must be delivered 5 days before election; Tennessee, 30 days before the election; Texas, 30 days before; Utah, 20 days before; Vermont, must be delivered to town clerk before 12 noon on the 3rd Saturday before the election; Virginia, must be delivered 29 days before election; Washington, 30 days before the election or in person to the local voter registration office 15 days before the election; West Virginia, 30 days before the election; Wisconsin, 13 days before (or completed in the local voter registration office 1 day before the election or completed at the polling place on election day); Wyoming, you must use Wyoming's form to register to vote. If you need assistance in registering to vote, such as locating a voter registration office, getting the form, filling it out, mailing it back, ask for help! {end of box} {put the following at the bottom of a column in other odd space} Remember that a voter registration form is the gateway to the election process for a person with a family member who has a disability! {end of box with a line around it.} Often, voter registration applications can be found at motor vehicle offices, social services agency offices (such as SSA, the welfare office, private social services agencies such as UCPA affiliates) or at public forums when candidates speak, or in candidate's campaign offices on Main Street. The office of the Secretary of State in each state capital can offer suggestions, if necessary, on how you can vote. Notes: As of September 1, 1995, however, mail-in voter registration may not be available in Arkansas (but will begin January 1st, 1996). In Illinois there is mail-in registration for federal elections only. In Mississippi, 'Motor Voter' is in litigation: one mail-in form requires a witness for a registered voter for a county election and which will register the person for all elections; the mail-in form without a witness registers only a person for a federal election. New Hampshire is in litigation and Vermont requires a Freeman's oath before voting until 1999. Virginia begins mail-in registration March 6, 1996. Wisconsin requires a witness for mail-in registration and Wyoming does not permit mail-in registration. {start a new graphic box here: shows a SAMPLE VOTER REGISTRATION FORM less than actual size} {the following is a graphic box with a line around it within the text, large font} Q. Can vehicles owned by nonprofit organizations be used to transport voters to the polls? Answer found on Page 00. {end of box} {box in the text here with the following in it} DISABILITY VOTE: Statistics 49 million Americans, or 19.4% of the population, or almost one out of every five people have a disability. 25 million Americans with disabilities are registered voters. In 1992, 10 % of all voters had disabilities Of al registered voters with disabilities: 54% are registered as Democrats, 24% are registered as Republicans. {end of box} HOW TO INCREASE VOTER REGISTRATION ACTION STEPS: 1. Telephone and ask for mail-in voter registration forms from the state election office listed on Page 00 or by looking up "Election Board" in the local phone book. 2. Ask the office to send you any information they may have on state and local elections in your state such as county, city, state assembly, etc. elections.. 3. Ask for copies of the laws and rules that regulate the elections in your state. 4. Once you have received the information, consider putting together an information sheet on your state's local elections and disseminate widely to persons with disabilities and their family members. Make the text easy to read and understand by limiting the amount of information per page. 5. If possible, include information about other local elections, e.g., school board, county sheriff, magistrate or other elective offices that your area may have or routinely include this information in your monthly or quarterly newsletter. 6. Hand these information sheets out at any Voter Registration tables you may set up. 7. Publicize the dates of local elections in all your newsletters and advise members of any committees you sit on of these elections. 8. Track the voting records and public statements of elected officials on local disability specific legislation or decisions and publicize these at election times. For instance, if there is a city council member who routinely trashes the ADA or makes fun of persons with disabilities in his speeches, make sure you publicize this information at election time. Alternatively, if there is a county sheriff running who has actively worked to ensure funding for access ramps at the city hall parking lot, make sure this is publicized at local election time. 9. Encourage people to vote in local elections as every vote counts even more at the local level now that money, and power, in the form of block grants, is shifting to state and local control. {the following is a small table across the page. It has a thick black line around it} Basic Information for a Registration Brochure ÀÀ Your Organization's Name, Address, Phone Number, Logo, Hours of Operation. ÀÀ A Motivational Message such as "ADA Is Your Civil Rights! Exercise your Citizenship Rights! Use Them or Lose Them!" ÀÀ Who Can Register to Vote: --All U.S. Citizens, 18 years or older (except, in most states, convicted felons and those adjudged 'mentally incompetent'); --Residents of the jurisdiction --Include information if your state law permits 17 year olds to register if they will be 18 by election day. ÀÀ Where to Register --Put in Board of Election's address and phone number, include a 24-hour message number if the office has one; --List other decentralized sites, with addresses and phone numbers. If you know they are wheelchair accessible, or have other accessibility features, specify! --Mobile voter registration units, if any with schedules. ÀÀ What Identification is Required to Verify Registration --Birth certificate? Proof of Naturalization? Driver's License? Other? ÀÀ When to Register --Hours the office is open, days of the week, registration deadline (s). ÀÀ When to Re-register or notify Election Office of Changes --After a name change? After an address change? ÀÀ How To Register By Mail (if permitted in your state) --Where forms are available. Remind people that forms are obtainable in candidates' offices as well. --Where to send the completed form. --Phone numbers to call to request forms, including any your organization may provide. Consider whether you might have a single brochure that includes information on both registration and on voting. Note that this basic information may already be available prepared and available from your local election office. Ask before you print your own! {end of box with a line around it} {the following is a text box} PROBLEM: You have set up a voter registration table and someone asks: "Do I have to choose a political party when I register?" or "How do I get an absentee ballot?" SOLUTION: The answers vary depending on your state. Contact the chief state election office or local election board for local rules. See the discussion on Absentee Balloting on Page 19 also. {end of box} FUN ACTIVITY TO EDUCATE ABOUT THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS {starts with a graphic of a ballot box with a vote going into the box, a wheelchair/disability image is painted on the side of the ballot box) As there are at least four or five different models of voting machines utilized by the states, it may be useful to have a training session on "How To Use The Ballot Booth". Their functionality and the ability of persons with disabilities to use them could be part of a training activity. If unexpected barriers are found, such as levers that are too high, or curtains that don't work properly for a person with a motor disability, the local election officer can be notified in advance of the actual election so the barrier will be removed. It is worth noting how essential this training may be for first-time voters, such as parents of children with disabilities who have difficulty getting out to vote for lack of caregivers, and for persons with disabilities for whom accommodations may have to be made. For instance, some states do not permit a person to open the curtains once inside the voting booth, and yet the person with a disability may require assistance and negate their ability to vote by opening the booth prior to voting while asking for such assistance. Consider contacting the local election office, or chief state election officer, and getting a voting booth brought to your site for a demonstration to train people who have never voted before on how to operate the levers and curtains. You could call the activity "Learning How To Use The Ballot Box." It should be done at least one month or six weeks prior to an actual election. Alternatively, a group of persons from a day care center, adult treatment center or other site could visit a booth training site that is being offered by another group or by the local election office or chief state election officer. Or ask the local election office to set up a demonstration for a group of persons with disabilities either at the Town Hall or a site where persons with disabilities congregate such as disability student centers or independent living centers. This training can take place as a fun educational activity for participants of child care centers day treatment centers county fairs special events, including fundraisers parent conferences employment conferences and other similar events It could take place simultaneously with voter registration form availability and other educational activities that focus on democratic processes of government. {the following is a graphic box} TRAINING ON HOW TO VOTE IN THE VOTING BOOTH FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS ask to have voting booth brought to your site visit a booth training site set up a demonstration at a common site Action Step: Call the local election office to get a typical voting booth demonstration going so that persons with disabilities can get familiarized with their operation and so they can be ready on election day and not inadvertently negate their vote! {end of graphic box with a line around it} {the following is a new box on the page at the bottom of page} Find out How To Reward Voter Registrants As A Way To Ensure Voting on Page 00 of this Word From Washington! {end of box with a line around it} FIVE EASY ACTION STEPS FOR A VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE Any individual, organization or affiliate advocacy committee can embark upon a nonpartisan voter registration drive for the disability community and others. {put a computer generated image of a short flight of steps here if you have them} {image should not be larger than 1 by 1 inch} Five easy steps to developing a voter registration drive. 1. Appoint one person to oversee and coordinate voter registration activities. This person should ensure that the agency has an adequate supply of the state's mail-in voter registration forms at all times. Forms can be obtained from the local elections office. The same person or another should make sure all forms and notices in the agency are amended to state voter registration is now an activity conducted at the agency. 2. Agency forms and procedures should be amended to include the question: "If you are not registered to vote where you now live, would you like to register here today?" If it is not possible to redesign intake forms, rubber stamps with this question are available for $5. Contact HumanSERVE, Tel: (212) 854-4053 or FAX your request (212) 854-8727 or write and send a check to them at HumanSERVE, 622 West 113th Street, Suite 410, New York, NY 10025. 3. Offer to help the customer with a disability or family member with completing the voter registration form. This may include typing or writing the information clearly for a person with cerebral palsy whose handwriting is unclear. It may include clarifying what the questions mean. It may mean filling out the form for a person who is unable to write. It may mean checking to be sure the application is filled out properly. It could mean assisting with getting a birth or citizenship record. 4. You should offer to mail it to the appropriate elections office. Get the address in advance. Maintain a record of how many people register to vote through your agency so you can let elected officials know who are their voting constituents. 5. Obtain answers to commonly asked questions from your local or state elections office. For example, people will ask --"How will I know if I am registered?" --"Where do I go to vote?" --"How do I get an absentee ballot?" --"Do I need an ID card when I vote?" --"Can I register to vote at age 17 if I will be 18 on election day?" --"How do I register if I am homeless or don't have a permanent address?" --"How do I know or prove if I am a U.S. citizen?" --If I register, am I permanently registered?" --"Do I have to choose a political party when I register?" --"If I vote in a party's primary election do I have to vote for that party in the general election?" --"How do I switch parties?" {the following is a box on the page} A voter registration form is the gateway to the election process for a citizen with a disability! {end of box with a line around it.} ACTION PLAN FOR ADVOCACY COMMITTEES TO INCREASE VOTER REGISTRATION AND PARTICIPATION IN THE ELECTION PROCESSES Develop a plan of action that includes all volunteers who are interested in this activity. A. Figure out what the state election rules and deadlines are and make sure everyone knows the timelines. B. Set a realistic goal of how many persons you want to register. Consider registering everyone that the affiliate serves; lists of persons on donor rolls; the professional, administrative and other staffpersons including part-timers or temporary workers; family members in your support groups; members in coalition groups; suppliers and subcontractors. C. Work backwards from the election date to set up voter registration tables in time to mail in forms. D. Plan a time and place where to set up a voting registration table, such as at a public event or affiliate activity. E. Identify and coach volunteers to staff the registration activity or to assist persons with disabilities with form filling out or sending the forms in. Ensure the forms are sent in. F. Obtain a big pile of simple mail-in voter registration forms. These can be found at local or state elections offices. If there is difficulty identifying the proper office, contact the chief state elections official, who is most likely the Secretary of State in your state capitol (see table on Page 00). G. If possible keep a list of who you register. H. Evaluate your success after the first week or event you do to see how you can become more efficient or more organized or more helpful to persons with disabilities and their families. E.g., not having enough felt tip pens which are easier to use if the people you are registering have difficulty with fine motor control or not having a table which is easy to write on if registrants are in wheelchairs. If a site is not doing well, find out why -- was it raining? Were tables not sufficiently staffed? Did volunteers not know answers to election and voting questions? I. If your voter registration team wants to embark on more activities you can target other events for your drive such as rallies or meetings of other groups, block parties, neighborhood associations, churches and synagogues, county and state affairs, crafts shows and other public events. You should contact the organizers or leaders of the event and get their approval first! J. Other tips for success-- . If your state allows you to pick up registration forms, get all you can carry as you can always return blank ones. . Make your request for unused forms well in advance of your registration drive. . Call your volunteers a day or two before they are scheduled to work to remind them of when and where they need to be and who they need to see to get started. K. Other activities to consider participation in by advocates for disability include becoming more involved in attending and planning candidates' meetings, working in campaigns, in becoming more informed about campaign issues and in educating candidates about disability issues, the concerns of family members and how current systems may not promote productivity, independence and dignity for persons with disabilities. {a new box, includes graphic image of people} Working With Volunteers on Voter Registration Once you have a group of people excited about getting out the vote you should start the voter registration activity soon! Here are some guidelines on handling the group so people feel needed, useful and appreciated. * Stick to a timetable and goal. You can always do the activity again as a new discrete task. * Ask volunteers to work only for reasonable, limited periods of time. A two-to three hour shift is a good standard. * If possible have two or more volunteers working together. * Suit the job to the volunteer. Some like detailed work and others work well with the public. Some like to work at home, others at the project site. Make the task fit the volunteer, not vice versa. Involve as many people with disabilities as possible in the public voter registration activities. * If possible, reimburse volunteers for travel costs, child care, disability-related costs such as personal care attendant or additional transit fare or other special needs. You can ask for donations as well to support this activity. * Make sure a volunteer knows exactly what they are expected to do. Supply them with written or clear verbal instructions and sample scripts or how to find out additional information. Provide identification tags or buttons. * Make sure there are enough supplies at the site or how they are to get additional supplies if they run out. * Involve volunteers at all levels if they wish, including the initial planning process. Listen carefully to all suggestions from persons with disabilities and family members who may have suggestions for addressing special needs. * Express immediate thanks to all volunteers. Cards and phone calls work well as do parties where announcements are made of how well the group did in reaching the goal. {the following is a box at end of a column } Question: Can our agency urge citizens to register and vote to stop Proposition X? Answer on Page 00. {end of box} {the following is a single column} NON PROFITS CAN MAKE VOTER REGISTRATION EASY Set up booths or tables in public places where persons with disabilities congregate: E.g., independent living centers, student disability centers, rehabilitation offices, disability civil rights demonstrations, speakers' forums, developmental disabilities planning council meetings, agency board meetings. Piggy-back on other meetings or gatherings: E.g., training sessions, therapy sessions, family support meetings, job bank activities, disability conferences. Check with organizers first! Persuade them how important this is if there is initial objection. Use a Vote-Mobile Consider transforming a car, van or truck into a "votemobile" and driving it to homes and gatherings of persons with disabilities and their families. Bring all the forms and information you think you will need. This activity is often particularly appreciated by those with physical disabilities for whom transportation and caregiver hassles can deter the most determined prospective voter. {the box includes an image of government buildings} {the following is a small box at the bottom of a column} On Duplicate Voter Registration According to the League of Women Voters, it is okay to err on the side of duplicate registration as it is better than no registration at all. For instance, a person may live in one jurisdiction, work in another, or may move soon, or may not be sure if they are already registered or if their name has been removed from the rolls, or recently moved into the area and not sure if they registered when they got their driving license. You may want to alert the elections office that there is potential duplication by clipping a note on the registration form when you send it in if you made aware of this possibility by the registrant. Be careful in your handling of registration forms. It represents a citizen's access to the electoral process! {an image of a pile of forms or papers stuffed into boxes was placed here in the text} REWARDING VOTER REGISTRANTS AS A WAY TO ENSURE VOTING Registration means nothing unless a citizen actually casts a vote. More than 80 percent of those who register actually do vote. The challenge is to reach those thousands of persons with disabilities and their family members who do not make to the polls. Groups that register large numbers of people have learned that following up the registration efforts with get-out-the-vote reminders, information and others services for voters makes a very significant difference in how many of those persons registered turn out to vote. Careful recordkeeping of registrants will not only assist you in ascertaining if you reach the goal you set but will make follow up easier. A letter to a new registrant could make all the difference! Sample Letter to Encourage Registered Voters to Vote on Election Days: Dear Mr./Mrs/Ms./Miss ---: We are pleased you registered to vote using our services. We want to urge you to take the very important next step, which is to cast your ballot. The next election will be on (INSERT DATE), which is a (PRIMARY/GENERAL) election to select (NAME THE OFFICE TO BE FILLED) and/or to decide (SPECIFY THE DISABILITY ISSUE ON THE BALLOT OR REFERENDUM). The nearest polling place is (INSERT ADDRESS OR PHONE NUMBER TO CALL FOR NEAREST ADDRESS). Polls will be open (INSERT TIME) and close at (INSERT TIME). If you need assistance to get to a polling place or think you may need assistance at the voting site, such as negotiating an accessible path or other disability-related accommodation, or you need transportation or child care, please contact us at (INSERT PHONE NUMBER OR ADDRESS). Your vote is very important. Make your voice heard on election day! Sincerely, Name of person who is organizing or coordinating the get-out-the-vote activity. SIMPLE SOLUTIONS OR SERVICES DISABILITY ORGANIZATIONS CAN PROVIDE PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES OR THEIR FAMILIES TO HELP THE ELECTION PROCESS . Phone or written contacts with registered voters should be made far enough in advance to ascertain if any special arrangements should be made. Set up a phone back to ask "Do You Know Where To Go To Vote Tomorrow?" Give them the address and travel instructions if necessary. . Arranging accessible and timely transportation may be essential. Call the candidates who are running for office and ask them to do the pick up of the voter. Most are happy to assist with transportation solutions that may lead to votes for them. . Assistance with voting procedures and access into buildings may be a significant contribution by agency staff or volunteers. By checking out precinct or polling sites ahead of time, organizations can ensure that voters with disabilities will be able to fulfill their civic duty. . Providing a free respite caregiver or temporary sitter so the parent of a child or the spouse of a chronically ill person may leave the house and go and vote. Coordinating this service and setting it up in advance of every election will establish the agency as both supporting a constitutional right and actively facilitating democracy for persons with disabilities. {the following is a box in the text at the bottom of a column. Has a line around it} Check Out The Disability Litmus Tests on Page 00 of this Word From Washington! {end of box} SOME RULES OF THE ROAD IN STAYING NONPARTISAN Nonpartisan means that the activity or program shall not be influenced by, affiliated with or supportive of the interest or policies of any political party or candidate. Remember that support for candidates of two different parties in an election ("bipartisanship") is NOT a nonpartisan activity. The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (as amended) requires that any registration drive conducted by or sponsored by a corporation must be nonpartisan (or held in conjunction with a nonpartisan organization) The Internal Revenue Code mandates the strict nonpartisanship of all registration and get-out-the-vote activities by organizations eligible to receive tax deductible contribution under Section 501(c)(3) of the code. A nonpartisan organization does not support, oppose or provide aid to any candidate for public office or to any political party. Nonpartisan registration and get-out-the-vote drives may be aimed either at the general public or at a generally defined population group such as persons with disabilities or their families. Information and materials and voting assistance must be made generally available and must not be targeted to those known to support one candidate or political party. Nonpartisan organizations that take stands on issues (even though they do not support or oppose candidates or parties) should take care to separate their advocacy issues from their registration and get-out-the vote efforts. They shouldn't, for example, distribute information about their positions on issues at the same time and place where they are registering voters. These are two separate activities. The separation becomes increasingly important as the election approaches and candidates become identified with certain stands on issues. Generally, requirements for nonpartisanship should be seen not a impediments to an effective drive but as an opportunity to stress the importance of voting by each citizen and for the preservation of a democratic society. {the following is a single column with a box line around it} Some Questions and Answers about nonpartisan activities. Q. Can my organization work in coalition with other groups that conduct voter registration, education and get-out-the vote programs? A. Yes, so long as the effort is nonpartisan. Participating organizations and individuals cannot make any statements in support of or in opposition to any particular candidate or party, or carry on any other activity designed to reflect a preference or recommendation for any political candidate or party. Q. Can vehicles owned by nonprofit organizations be used to transport voters to the polls? And can drivers employed by the organization transport voters to the polls? A. Yes. You can even affix non-partisan messages to vehicles encouraging voters to got to the polls. However, make certain that the vehicles and drivers do not have any partisan literature, buttons, posters, flyers, bumper stickers, or other political propaganda on them! Q. Can a staffperson registering voters in a 501(c)(3) agency wear a button or put a bumper sticker on his or her car that has the name of a favored candidate? A. No, not while registering voters. This caution does not apply to referenda. You may urge citizens to "register and vote to stop Proposition X." Q. Can my agency place posters on voting in conspicuous places? A. Yes. As long as it does not refer to political parties or candidates. {end of one column} {the following is a small box} WHAT ONE INDIVIDUAL CAN DO: MORE IDEAS FOR ENCOURAGING VOTING IN THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY Create buttons and bumper stickers Include a voting reminder in every mailing Have voter registration forms at every meeting Recruit a "Let's Register Everyone To Vote" or 'LRETV' Team Recruit a "Get Out The Vote Team" ('a GoVote Team') Write opinion pieces or letters to editors Remind newspapers and other media of the number of persons with disabilities Post a notice asking for volunteer caregivers for parents of children with disabilities or for parents with disabilities who have children Take voter registration forms everywhere with you Invite the Chief State Election Officer to a meeting to talk on the status of Motor Voter Advise candidates for office on disability aspects of their platforms Volunteer at local polling sites Hold a candidates' forum Ask the governor to proclaim a Disabled And Able to Vote Day Form a state level coalition Survey candidates for office on ADA Get active in a political campaign Raise disability funds for a candidate Get active in a political party. Run for office {end of box} WHAT ONE INDIVIDUAL CAN DO: MORE NEAT IDEAS FOR ENCOURAGING VOTING IN THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY ÀÀCreate buttons and bumper stickers with messages such as "I May Be Disabled But I Am Able To Vote" or "These Wheels Roll Into the Ballot Booth" or "My Kid is Disabled and I Vote". Hold a meeting to create snappy slogans, find a way to get them made and hand them out. ÀÀInclude a voting reminder on all envelopes, forms, flyers and handouts for information and referral services: E.g., --"THIS AGENCY CAN HELP YOU REGISTER TO VOTE" --"ARE YOU REGISTERED TO VOTE?" --"I CAN HELP YOU REGISTER TO VOTE" --"VOTE IN THE NEXT ELECTION ON [insert date]" --"EVERY VOTE COUNTS" ÀÀHave voter registration forms at EVERY meeting, no matter how small it is. Set a goal of registering ONE PERSON A DAY or ONE PERSON AT EVERY MEETING. Don't underestimate the power of incremental action. ÀÀIn every newsletter include the phone number and/or location of the election office or where to get voter registration forms such as "For questions and concerns about voting and elections call the Secretary of State at [insert the state's 800 number to the chief election office]". Include reminders such as "Don't forget to register to vote by [insert date] in order to be eligible to vote in the November 8, 1996 election." ÀÀRecruit a "Let's Register Everyone To Vote" ('LRETV Team') and decide to register a specific number of persons by a certain date. ÀÀRecruit a "Get Out The Vote Team" ('GoVote Team') to assist with transportation and other special needs. ÀÀWrite opinion pieces or letters to editors of local and regional papers about getting out the vote or about the difficulties persons with disabilities encounter and how they master them. Meet with editorial boards on voting problems, or successes, to get better coverage during elections. ÀÀRemind newspapers and other media of the number of persons with disabilities, and the number of their family members and associates, in the community or in the state. Make sure candidates for office know these numbers too. Remind everyone that it is generally recognized that a mere block of 20,000 votes can greatly affect the outcome of most races. ÀÀPost a notice asking for volunteer caregivers so parents, especially single parents, of children with disabilities, can get out of the house to vote. Coordinate this service for every election. ÀÀTake voter registration forms everywhere with you. Be a pain in the neck to your friends about voter registration until they are all registered. Then harangue them to see if they voted. ÀÀInvite the Chief State Election Officer or the local election official as the next speaker at your monthly support meeting. Ask him or her to talk about 'Motor Voter' implementation or for a report on how far they have advanced with accessibility for persons with disabilities at voting sites. Have registration forms handy. Mail them in the next day. ÀÀTell candidates for office to include persons with disabilities in the visual materials they utilize. Offer yourself. ÀÀAdvise candidates for office on the disability aspect of any issue. In particular, encourage candidates to use words with dignity to promote equality for everyone. Advise them to eliminate words like abnormal, burden, deformed, differently abled, disfigured, incapacitated, imbecile, maimed, moron, palsied, pathetic, pitiful, deaf-mute, crazy/insane, fits, slow, afflicted with, cripple, invalid, spastic, stricken with, suffer from, tragedy, etc. from their speeches and materials. Help them learn preferred terminology such as blind, deaf, profoundly deaf, hearing impaired, visually impaired, hemiplegia, paraplegia, quadriplegia, etc. If necessary offer to conduct a disability etiquette session for campaign or party staff on what 'people first' language is all about. ÀÀVolunteer at local polling sites. Not only will you be able to make sure they are accessible but also may be able to assist voters with disabilities. ÀÀHold a candidates' forum. Discuss their positions and knowledge of disability related information afterwards. Register voters. Mail them in the next day. ÀÀSurvey Medicaid and Vocational Rehabilitation suppliers and contractees, such as durable medical equipment sellers and state contracted providers of rehabilitation services. Questions could include "Do you know if your sales or program staff are influenced by disability issues in their state, Congressional or Presidential voting?" ÀÀSurvey candidates for office on P.L. 101-336, The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). Ask them "If the Americans With Disabilities Act were proposed as legislation today, how would you vote?" Publicize the results of this 'snapshot survey'. Educate candidates on the Act's importance where it is clear there is lack of knowledge. ÀÀAsk the governor to proclaim a Disabled But Able to Vote Day to launch a statewide campaign to increase voter registration and to mobilize persons with disabilities to exercise their fundamental constitutional rights and responsibilities. Include elderly advocacy organizations if appropriate. ÀÀRaise disability funds for a candidate. Hold a fundraiser for a candidate that is especially sensitive to disability issues. Check with local, state and federal election offices about the rules for holding such events. ÀÀForm a state level coalition that includes persons from Vocational Rehabilitation, the Social Security Administration, the Special Education office, the Medicaid and Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities and other disability specific bureaucracies. Their mission would be to assess what needs to be done to ensure Motor Voter implementation and to find ways to achieve the goals. Either meet in person or hold a teleconference. Follow up with letters to hold officials to their word. ÀÀExpand your social life. Get active in a political campaign. Get active in a political party. Assist with fundraising for a candidate. ÀÀRun for office. Find out how to run for local office, raise some change, manage your own campaign. {the following is a box in the text} it is generally recognized that a mere block of 20,000 votes can greatly affect the outcome of most races. {end of graphic box} {the following is a text box} Common Distortion Tactics Used in Campaigns Name-calling. Rumor-mongering. Loaded statements. Guilt by association. Catchwords. Baiting. Phony issues. Passing the blame. Promising the sky. Conclusions based on assumptions or stereotypes, not on facts, or which don't follow from the previous statements. As in "huh?" Evading real issues, like stands on slashing of funds for certain programs or activities. Action Steps: 1. Award a prize to the candidate (s) who don't use these tactics. 2. Present certificates or other awards or acknowledgements to candidates who speak directly to the disability community in their general advertising. {A graphic image here of certificate or award in the text here} Statements such as "I Support Education that Includes All Students", "Complete Voting Access Is Important to Me", "Quality Funding for Community Based Options", "Support Family Supports" or "I Promote Personal Responsibility For Persons With Disabilities" may have little meaning for the average voter. For prospective voters with disabilities, and their families, such messages, if sincere and backed by their record, have greater meaning and talk directly to our concerns. {end of box} TECHNIQUES TO ACCESS THE DISABILITY VOTE FOR CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR OFFICE Using the following techniques, a campaign can touch the hearts and minds of voters with disabilities affecting the choices made by them, their friends, their family members and members of the disability services industry (Vocational Rehabilitation agency staff, Department of Mental Health or Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Staff, durable medical equipment providers, special education teachers, others, etc.). However, to do this, the content of the campaign, evidenced in issue papers and speeches, must reflect a sincere commitment to the empowerment and full social inclusion of people with disabilities. Campaigns should include: . Position papers on issues which impact the lives of people with disabilities. . Accessible campaign offices and events . Sign language interpreters to be provided at public events upon request . Open captioning on most television advertisements . Notice given in campaign literature that it is also available in large print, braille, audiotape and computer disk mail appeals, specifically addressing disability-related issues and concerns. . People with disabilities visibly included in campaign events and advertisements . Mention disability in speeches, particularly when listing the litany of groups the candidate will support (e.g., racial minorities, women, older americans, etc.) . Use of disability issues as examples when putting "spin" on issues (.e.g, drastic cuts in Medicaid will devastate the lives of millions of Americans with disabilities, perhaps followed by a specific example of how the cutback will cripple personal assistance services for twenty employed persons with disabilities). DISABILITY LITMUS TEST: HOW TO ASSESS THE CANDIDATES There is less than a year to go before the next presidential election and there are many candidates to assess for their support of issues central to the lives of children and adults with disabilities and their families. Advocates are assessing candidates' support and interest in disability issues by checking to see if candidates ...utilize campaign offices and schedule events at architecturally accessible locations; ...hire American Sign Language interpreters at campaign events; ...air television advertisements that are open or closed captioned, or video described; ...make campaign literature available in large print and braille or on audiotape and computer disk upon request; ...invite disability community leaders and members to strategy sessions, public forums and town meetings; ...mention persons with disabilities and have familiarity with their issues; ...strongly support P.L. 101-336, The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA); ...have a positive record on ADA implementation; ...vote for the interests of the disability community in education/special education, health care, Medicaid/Medicare, job training, housing, employment, transportation, taxation, technology development, telecommunications access, supplemental security income (SSI/SSDI)..... FEDERAL LAWS THAT PROVIDE FOR ABSENTEE REGISTRATION AND ABSENTEE BALLOTING {graphic image of a mailbox or stamped letter here.} The 1955 Federal Voting Assistance Act (amended in 1968 and 1972). This law requires that states give absentee voting and registration rights to the following persons: --members of the U.S. armed Forces while in active service, members of the U.S, Merchant Marine and their spouses and dependents; --U.S. citizens temporary living outside of the territorial limits of the U.S. These persons may apply for registration (and for absentee ballots) by filing out the Federal Post Card Application for Absentee Ballot (FPCA) and mailing it to their local election official. Military personnel can get forms from military base voting assistance officers in the U.S. or abroad. Civilians abroad should contact U.S. consulates and embassies. Rules for absentee balloting differ by state. Write the Chief State Election Office (see listing on Page 00) to find out the absentee rules. The Overseas Citizens Voting Rights Act of 1975 This law provides that ALL citizens residing abroad can register and vote in FEDERAl elections (presidential and congressional) as long as they meet the usual voting qualifications int heir home state. Overseas citizens should ask for absentee registration and voting forms from the election officials in their home counties, the county in which they last lived. Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act of 1984 (P.L. 98-435) This act says that "any handicapped or elderly voter assigned to an inaccessible polling place, upon advance request of such voter (pursuant to procedures established by the chief election officer of the state) will be assigned to an accessible polling place or will be provided with an alternative means for casting a ballot on the day of election." [Sec. 3(a)(1)(B)] This means that if a person with a disability knows that the usual voting site for their precinct or ward is inaccessible they may request, in advance, to go vote in another place that is accessible or be given an alternative, such as an absentee ballot. This act also states that in FEDERAL elections "no notarization or medical certification shall be required of a handicapped voter with respect to an absentee ballot or an application for such ballot, except that medical certification may be required when the certification establishes eligibility, under state law...." [Sec. 5(b)] This means that medical certification or notarization cannot be required in order to vote in federal elections. The story may be quite different for local elections and these two procedures may be required in order to register or secure an absentee ballot form. Check with your local election board on this for your state! This law may permit certain persons with disabilities who are away from their home during an election, e.g., hospitalization or other disability-related activity, to send in an absentee ballot, or it may also permit the caregiver of a person with a disability, such as a parent of a child with a disability or the spouse of a person who is frail elderly, to cast an absentee ballot. The only way to see if this is possible is to check with the local election board as local laws vary widely from county to county on absentee balloting for non-federal elections. Action Steps: 1. Find out the rules for absentee balloting in your state from the chief state election office who can refer you to your local election office (contacts listed on Page 00). 2. Disseminate the information about absentee balloting, particularly if it may assist certain populations of persons with disabilities, such as a family member, to vote. 3. If a person indicates they will not be able vote due to a planned trip abroad, advise them of the availability of absentee balloting and assist them in securing an absentee ballot. 4. Monitor the vote counting process to ensure that absentee ballots are in fact counted and false requirements for notarization or medical certifications in federal elections are not being used to discount the vote. WHY ABSENTEE BALLOTING HELPS PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES Despite large effort by individuals with disabilities and advocates at the local level, and despite the ADA, individuals with disabilities may still experience considerable difficulty getting to the ballot box even if they are registered and willing to vote. For instance, while the precinct voting site may be accessible other barriers to voting exist: bad weather can disrupt many transportation arrangements; there is a lack of or insufficient designated 'handicapped parking; difficulty getting out of the house or down broken or icy steps; travel and childcare arrangements, for both parents with disabilities who have children and for parents of children with disabilities; management of time and payment of personal care assistants to assist while executing one's civil right to vote; as well as having to communicate with sometimes unsympathetic, or patronizing or otherwise uninformed persons at election offices or polling sites can all contribute to deterring even the most zealous voter. Absentee balloting is one solution to this problem until accessibility at the polling place occurs in reality or until alternative methods of voting are permitted (e.g., electronic, mail-in or telephone voting). FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION INFORMATION "Election Directory 1996". Possibly as early as the end of January 1996, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) will print and distribute a new directory of election information, "Election Directory 1996". Generally there is no charge for this 60 page document which lists (new) names, addresses and phone numbers of election officers for each state. The document also includes listings for town and county election officers. These listings are important to the disability community as election offices are important sources of information about local election laws and a main source for securing each state's voting form which must be used for "Get Out The Vote" activities, including mail-in registrations. State laws about polling and how elections are run can change and these offices are significant routes to finding out what changes at the local election level. For a copy of this directory, write to the Federal Election Commission, 999 E Street N.W., Washington, DC 20463. ACTION STEPS: 1. Copies of this free directory go fast so get your written request in early with your name and address on it today! 2. Use the information in this directory to create state, or county, or town, Voting Facts or Information sheets, as part of any campaign to get out the vote or to educate people with disabilities and their families about election processes and procedures. 3. Reprint and public state information in newsletters or on electronic networks and bulletin boards to ensure wide dissemination of this state level source of information and forms. Public Disclosure of Campaign Contribution Information. The Public Disclosure Bureau at the Federal Elections Commission in Washington, DC, maintains public records of contributions to national political campaigns. Candidates must submit and update financial information regularly. This information is available in each state also through State Elections Commissions. If there is no listing for the State Elections Commission the location of such public records will be registered with the Clerk of the House of Representatives, or available through the Secretary of State, in your state. Sometimes the State Elections Commission will have offices throughout the state, but often the Commission is located in the state capital. Information on campaign donations is typically recorded chronologically by date of donation, e.g., Jan.-June, 1989 rather than alphabetically by donor, or by size of donation. This will vary somewhat among states. Usually donations of $200 or more are recorded. The disability community has often neglected to use this powerful source of legislative impact, even though it is used often against us by others, at both the federal and state legislative level. We can no longer let that happen. We must use every legal means possible to ensure that as control and power passes from the federal level to the state level, such as through blockgranting of programs, ACTION STEPS: 1. Get copies of campaign contribution lists. Determine who will visit the State Elections Commission in your state to request copies of campaign contribution information for your Senators and Representatives and other persons running for office. The Commission may be willing to copy and send the requested information for a small fee to cover their expenses. Some of this information is also available at cost through the Washington, DC, FEC at (800)-424-9530 or (202) 219-4140. However there is a turnaround time of at least ten days after your request is received. 2. Review records to determine key campaign contributors. Identify the top 200 or so campaign contributors for the Senators and Representatives from your state. 3. Review the list of key campaign contributors to identify individuals who are either active in or interested in disability issues or who may be a friend, colleague, acquaintance or neighbor of someone in your organization. It is important that this activity be coordinated among the various groups within the state since someone may have knowledge of an individual's interest or potential interest which other groups do not have. 4. Contact key contributor (s) identified as interested or potentially interested in disability issues. This activity could be coordinated among groups so that the contributor is not deluged with calls. Develop a plan that includes determining who is the most appropriate person to contact the contributor, what information should be shared and what requests made. For example, the individual may not be aware of the legislation proposed, or how it will impact the lives of people with disabilities. Be prepared to share information both verbally and in writing and include the Washington address and phone number of the Senator (or Representative). 5. Be sure to follow up with the contributor and include him or her in future activities relating to the legislation. Don't just disappear. Involve this individual and keep him or her informed. Even if he or she did not contact the Senator or representative personally this time, perhaps next time your efforts will pay off. TEXAS ELECTION OFFICER DISCRIMINATED AGAINST BLIND PERSONS On November 23, 1995, U.S. District Judge David Briones ruled that Texas' chief elections officer discriminated against certain persons with disabilities under the ADA by failing to ensure all polling places are accessible in El Paso. This precedent order gave Secretary of State Tony Garza thirty days to find some way to allow persons who are blind to cast a secret ballot statewide. If they fail they will be ordered into court and remedies imposed. Briones stated that "The system of voting in the state of Texas does not presently comport with the Americans With Disabilities Act. The present system discriminates against the disabled." Similar suits have been filed in Beaumont, Fort Worth and McAllen, TX. The El Paso ruling resulted from a class action suit filed under the ADA by six disabled El Pasoans and a local advocacy group that claimed voters with disabilities were not getting fair treatment statewide. Plaintiff Burns Taylor objected to being forced to ask someone to read and mark his ballot for him, violating his right to cast a secret or private ballot as is enjoyed by all other voters. The plaintiffs have suggested the used of several alternate systems, such as a phone-in voting system and a tape recording that could be used with a braille ballot. State election officials have fought the complaint contending that they do not believe ADA requires the creation of a unique voting system for visually impaired voters, asserting that such technology does not exist and the cost of developing it is prohibitive. Readers of WfW will be updated as this and other pending ADA and voting-related cases develop. PHYSICAL BARRIERS TO ACCESS AT LOCAL POLLING STATION OR PRECINCT SITES . precinct voting scheduled in buildings where sidewalks lack curb cuts . no ramp to doorway of building . no disability parking nearby . door with access ramp was chained shut and no-one had key to unlock padlock . stairs made of slippery materials . stairs lacking handrails . access pathways blocked (by debris or other items) . lack of accessible toilets or other facilities for volunteer workers at polling sites . lack of knowledge by voting site volunteers in how to assist persons with communication (hearing and/or speech) disabilities Many of the above barriers to voting by persons with disabilities were found in Beaumont, TX, by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Tom Harrison, after a city general election in May 1995. Harrison wrote to City Secretary, Rosemarie Chiapetta, June 2, pointing out these barriers, to make it "helpful to you in making all polling places accessible for future elections." {the following is graphic box here within the text italicized and bolded} It is generally recognized that a mere block of 20,000 votes can greatly affect the outcome of most races. {end of graphic block} ACTION STEPS WHEN FACED WITH BARRIERS AT LOCAL POLLING PLACES 1. Document the barriers in a brief letter and send to top city officials, with carbon copies to any or all of the following: Mayors, state and local Disability Commissions, Governor's Developmental Disabilities Councils, disability newsletters. 2. Request immediate relief and remedy to the situation. Suggest remedies to the barriers to access. (See box below for what ADA includes.) 3. Write letters or op ed pieces for the newsprint media. Describe how easy or what accommodation could be done for the next election. 4. Videotape effect of the architectural or other barriers during an actual election process and get it aired on local television. Get quotes from local officials on the issue. 5. Photograph (failed) attempts to vote and get a story published in local newspapers with headlines about persons with disabilities being shut out of the democratic process. 6. Consider filing an ADA Title II (State and Local Government Services) discrimination complaint. SUMMARY OF TITLE II OF ADA WHICH COVERS PUBLIC SERVICES Title II of the ADA prohibits state and local governments, and any department or instrumentality of a state or local government, from excluding "qualified" individuals with a disability from participation in or denying them benefits of services, programs or activities to persons with a disability. The law specifically defines a "qualified" individual as "an individual with a disability who, with or without reasonable modifications to rules, policies or practices, the removal of architectural, communication, or transportation barriers, or the provision of auxiliary aids and services, meets the essential eligibility requirements for the receipt of services or the participation in programs or activities provided by a public entity." The law also defines the term "auxiliary aids and services" to include: "(A) qualified interpreters or other effective methods of making aurally delivered materials available to individuals with hearing impairments; (B) qualified readers, taped texts, or other effective methods of making visually delivered materials available to individuals with visual impairments; (C) acquisition or modification of equipment or devices; and (D) other similar services and actions." {the following is a five page table listing governors by state. It includes, party affiliate, address, telephone number, date present term began, number of previous terms, regular term length in years, and number of maximum consecutive terms. It includes notes about particular cases as many states have changed their laws in recent years.} LIST OF GOVERNORS OF THE STATES AND TERRITORIES (alphabetical by state) ................. State Governor & Party AffiliationAddress & Tel.No Date present term beganNumber of previous termsRegular term, in years M a x . C o n s e c u t i v e T e r m s ALABAMA Fob James Jr. RepublicanExecutive Mansion, 1142 S. Perry St, Montgomery, AL 36104 (334) 242-7100January 1995One. James served a previous term from 1979 to 1983. Four years T w o ALASKA Tony Knowles Democrat 716 Calhoun Ave, Juneau, AK 99801 (907) 465-3500December 1994-- Four years T w o AMERICAN SAMOAA.P. Lutali Democrat Government House, Pago, AS 96799 (684) 633-4116January 1993One. Lutali served a previous term from '85 to '89. Four years T w o ARIZONA Fife Symington Republican4450 East Camelback #9, Phoenix, AZ 85018 (602) 542-4331January 1995One. Symington was elected in a runoff election 2/26/91. No cand. in Nov. 90 genl. election had rec'd a majority, as then required in AZ. Law repealed by voters in '92. Four years T e r m l i m i t e d t o 2 c o n s e c u t i v e 4 - y r . t e r m s ; a s p r o v i s i o n p a s s e d d u r i n g S y m i n g t o n ' s a d m i n . , h e w a s g r a n d f a t h e r e d . A f t e r h i s 3 r d t e r m , h e c a n ' t r u n a g a i n . ARKANSAS Jim Guy Tucker Democrat Governor's Mansion, 1800 Center St., Little Rock, AR 72206 (501) 682-2345January 1995One. Tucker, as Lt. Gov., became gov. after Clinton was elected Pres. & resigned as gov. Dec.'92. He was elected to a 4-yr. term in Nov. 94. Four years T w o . A b s o l u t e 2 - t e r m l i m i t , b u t n o t n e c . c o n s e c u t i v e . CALIFORNIA Pete Wilson RepublicanP.O. Box 1798, Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 445-2841January 1995One Four years T w o COLORADO Roy Romer Democrat 400 East 8th Ave, Denver, CO 80203 (303) 866-2471January 1995Two Four years T w o . L i m i t e d t o 2 c o n s e c u t i v e 4 y r . t e r m s ; a s p r o v i s i o n p a s s e d d u r i n g R o m e r ' s a d m i n . , h e w a s g r a n d f a t h e r e d . A f t e r a 3 r d t e r m , h e c a n ' t r u n a g a i n . CONNEC- TICUT John G. Rowland Republican990 Prospect Ave., Hartford, CT 06105 (203) 566-4840January 1995-- Four years -- DELAWARE Tom Carper Democrat 600 West Matson Run Parkway, Wilmington, DE 19802 (302) 739-4101January 1993-- Four years T w o . A b s o l u t e 2 t e r m l i m i t , b u t n o t n e c . c o n s e c u t i v e . FLORIDA Lawren Chiles Democrat Governor's Mansion, 700 North Adams, Tallahassee, FL 32303 (904) 488-2272January 1995One Four years T w o GEORGIA Zell Miller Democrat 391 West Paces Ferry Road NW, Atlanta, GA 30305 (404) 656-1776January 1995One Four years T w o GUAM Carl T. C. Gurierrez Democrat Government House, Agana Heights, GU 96910 (671) 472-8931January 1995-- Four years T w o HAWAII Benjamin J. Cayetano Democrat Washington Place, Honolulu, HI 96819 (808) 586-0034December 1994-- Four years T w o IDAHO Philip E. Batt RepublicanP.O. Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720-0034 (208) 334-2100January 1995-- Four years -- ILLINOIS Jim Edgar RepublicanExecutive Mansion, 4th & Jackson Sts.,Springfield, IL 62701 (217) 782-6830January 1995One Four years -- INDIANA Evan Bayh Democrat 4750 North Meridian St., Indianapolis, IN 46208 (317) 232-4567January 1993One Four years T w o IOWA Terry E. Branstad RepublicanTerrace Hill, 2300 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50312 (515) 281-5211January 1995Three Four years -- KANSAS Bill Graves Republican1 Cedar Crest, Topeka, KS 66606 (913) 296-3232January 1995-- Four years T w o KENTUCKY Brereton C. Jones Democrat Governor's Mansion, Frankfort, KY 40601 (502) 564-2611December 1991-- Four years G o v . c a n ' t s e r v e i m m e d i a t e s u c c e s s i v e t e r m s . LOUISIANA Edwin W. Edwards Democrat 1101 Capital Access Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70802 (504) 342-7015January 1992Three. Edwards served previous terms from '72-'76, '76-'80, & '84-'88. Four years T w o MAINE Angus S. King Jr. IndependentBlaine House, Augusta, ME 04330 (207) 287-3531January 1995-- Four years T w o MARYLAND Parris N. Glendening Democrat Governor's Mansion, Annapolis, MD 21401 (410) 974-3901January 1995-- Four years T w o MASSA- CHUSETTS William F. Weld RepublicanState House, Room 360, Boston, MA 02135 (617) 727-9173January 1995One Four years T e r m l i m i t e d t o 2 c o n s e c u t i v e 4 y r . t e r m s b e g i n n i n g w i t h G o v . e l e c t e d i n ' 9 8 . W e l d w a s g r a n d f a t h e r e d & c a n s e r v e o n e m o r e t e r m . MICHIGAN John Engler RepublicanGovernor's Residence, Lansing, MI 48911 (517) 373-3400January 1995One Four years T w o MINNESOTA Arne H. Carlson RepublicanGovernor's Residence, 1006 Summit Ave., St. Paul, MN 55105 (612) 296-3391January 1995One Four years -- MISSIS- SIPPI Kirk Fordice RepublicanGovernor's Mansion, 300 East Capitol St., Jackson, MS 39201 (601) 359-3100January 1992-- Four years T w o MISSOURI Mel Carnahan Democrat Governor's Residence, 100 Madison St., Jefferson City, MO 65101 (314) 751-3222January 1993-- Four years T w o . A b s o l u t e 2 t e r m l i m i t b u t n o t n e c . c o n s e c u t i v e . MONTANA Marc Racicot RepublicanExecutive Mansion, 2 Carson St., Helena, MT 59601 (406) 444-3111January 1993-- Four years T w o . A b s o l u t e l i m i t o f 8 y r s . o f s e r v i c e o u t o f e v e r y 1 6 y r s . NEBRASKA E. Benjamin Nelson Democrat 1425 H St., Lincoln, NE 68508 (402) 471-2244January 1995One Four years T w o . A f t e r 2 c o n s e c u t i v e t e r m s a s g o v . , c a n d i d a t e m u s t w a i t f o r 4 y r s . b e f o r e e l i g i b l e a g a i n . NEVADA Bob Miller Democrat Governor's Mansion, 606 Mountain St., Carson City, NV 89703 (702) 687-5670January 1995Two. Miller, as Lt. Gov., became gov. after former Gov. Bryan elected in '88 to US Senate. Miller elected to 4-yr. terms, Nov. '90 & Nov.'94.Four years T w o NEW HAMPSHIRE Stephen Merrill RepublicanBridges House 21, Mountain Road, Concord, NH 03301 (603) 271-2121January 1995One Two y ars-- NEW JERSEY Christine T. Whitman RepublicanDrumthwacker, 354 Stockton St., Princeton, NJ 08540 (609) 292-6000January 1994-- Four years T w o NEW MEXICO Gary E. Johnson RepublicanGovernor's Mansion, Mansion Ridge Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505) 827-3000January 1995-- Four years T w o NEW YORK George E. Pataki Republican139 Eagle St., Executive Mansion, Albany, NY 12202 (518) 474-7516January 1995-- Four years -- NORTH CAROLINAJames B. Hunt Jr. Democrat Executive Mansion, 200 North Blount St., Raleigh, NC 27601-1093 (919) 733-4240January 1993Two. Hunt served previous terms from '77-'81 & from '81-'85.F our y a s w o NORTH DAKOTA Edward T. Schafer RepublicanGovernor's Residence, 1131 North 4th St., Bismarck, ND 58501 (701) 328-2200December 1992-- Four years -- NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS Froilan C.Tenorio Democrat P.O. Box 10007 CK, Saipan, MP 96950 (670) 322-5091January 1994-- Four years T w o . A b s o l u t e 2 t e r m l i m i t , b u t n o t n e c e s s a r i l y c o n s e c u t i v e . OHIO George V. Voinovich RepublicanGovernor's Residence, 358 North Parkview, Bexley, OH 43209 (614) 466- 3555January 1995One Four years T w o OKLAHOMA Frank Keating Republican820 N.E. 23rd St., Oklahoma City, OK 73105 (405) 521-2342January 1995-- Four years T w o OREGON John A. Kitzhaber Democrat 533 Lincoln Street South, Salem, OR 97302-5128 (503) 378-3111January 1995-- Four years T w o PENN- SYLVANIA Tom Ridge Republican2035 North Front St., Harrisburg, PA 17102 (717) 787-2500January 1995-- Four years T w o PUERTO RICO Pedro Rossello Democrat/ New Progressive PartyLa Fortaleza, San Juan, PR 00901 (809) 721-7000January 1993-- Four years -- RHODE ISLAND Lincoln Almond Republican12 Hillside Ave., Lincoln, RI 02865 (401) 277- 2080January 1995-- Four years T w o SOUTH CAROLINA David M. Beasley RepublicanGovernor's Mansion, 800 Richland St., Columbia, SC 29201 (803) 734-9818January 1995-- Four years T w o SOUTH DAKOTA William J. Janklow RepublicanGovernor's Mansion, 119 North Washington Ave., Pierre, SD 57501 (605) 773-3212January 1995Two. Janklow served previous terms from '79-'83 & '83-'87.F our y a s w o TENNESSEE Don Sundquist RepublicanExecutive Residence, Nashville, TN 37204 (615) 741- 2001January 1995-- Four years T w o TEXAS George W. Bush RepublicanGovernor's Mansion, 1010 Colorado, Austin, TX 78701 (512) 463-2000January 1995-- Four years -- UTAH Michael O. Leavitt RepublicanExecutive Residence, 1820 Laird Ave., Salt Lake City, UT 84108 (801) 538-1500January 1993-- Four years T e r m l i m i t e d t o 3 c o n s e c u t i v e 4 - y r . y e a r t e r m s b e g i n n i n g w i t h t h e g o v . e l e c t e d i n ' 9 6 ; h o w e v e r , b e c a u s e p r o v i s i o n p a s s e d d u r i n g L e a v i t t ' s a d m i n . , h e w a s g r a n d f a t h e r e d & c a n s e r v e 3 a d d l . t e r m s . VERMONT Howard Dean, M.D. Democrat 325 South Cove Road, Burlington, VT 05401 (802) 828-3333January 1995Two. Dean, as Lt. Gov., became gov. in Aug. 91 after death of Gov. Snelling. Dean was elected to full 2-yr. terms in Nov. '92 & Nov.'94. Two y ars-- VIRGINIA George Allen RepublicanExecutive Mansion, Richmond, VA 23219 (804) 786-2211January 1994-- Four years G o v . c a n n o t s e r v e i m m e d i a t e s u c c e s s i v e t e r m s . VIRGIN ISLANDS Roy L. Schneider IndependentGovernment House, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, VI 00802 (809) 774-0001January 1995-- Four years T w o WASHING- TON Mike Lowry Democrat Executive Mansion, Olympia, WA 98504 (360) 753-6780January 1993-- Four years A b s o l u t e l i m i t o f 8 y r s . o f s e r v i c e o u t o f e v e r y 1 4 y r s . WEST VIRGINIAGaston Caperton Democrat Governor's Mansion, Charleston, WV 25311 (304) 558-2000January 1993One Four years T w o WISCONSIN Tommy G. Thompson RepublicanExecutive Residence, 99 Cambridge Road, Madison, WI 53704 (608) 266-1212January 1995Two Four years -- WYOMING Jim Geringer RepublicanGovernor's Residence, 5001 Central Ave., Cheyenne, WY 82009 (307) 777-7434January 1995-- Four years T w o {the following is another full one page listing in table format, by state alphabetically, of chief election officers, shows address and telephone number, to contact to get registration forms or other state information about running for office or election information.} LIST: Chief Election Officers by State The following elections offices can be contacted to secure mail-in register-to-vote forms, details on state laws regulating voting procedures in your state and other critical information you may need to know in order to embark upon a voter registration activity or for your own personal usage as a voter. STATE ADDRESS TELEPHONE NUMBER Alabama Director of Voter Registration, Montgomery, AL (334) 242-4337 Alaska Division of Elections, Juneau, AK(907) 465-4611 Arizona Office of Assistant Secretary of State, Phoenix, AZ (602) 542-4919 Arkansas Election Services, Little Rock, AR(501) 682-5070 California Office of Chief of Elections, Sacramento, CA (916) 657-2166 Colorado Elections Officer, Denver, CO(303) 894-2680 #1 Connecticut Elections Office, Hartford, CT(203) 566-3106 Delaware Office of State Election Commissioner, Dover, DE (302) 739-6794 District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics, Washington, DC (202) 727-2525 Florida Division of Elections, Tallahassee, FL(904) 488-7690 Georgia Elections Division, Atlanta, GA(404) 656-2871 Hawaii Election Division, Honolulu, HI(808) 453-8683 Idaho Office of Secretary of State for Elections, Boise, ID (208) 334-2300 Illinois Board of Elections, Springfield, IL(217) 782-4141 Indiana State Election Board, Indianapolis, IN(317) 232-3939 Iowa Office of Secretary of State, Des Moines, IA (515) 281-5823 Kansas Elections Office, Topeka, KS(913) 296-2236 Kentucky State Board of Elections, Frankfort, KY(502) 573-7100 Louisiana Office of Commissioner of Elections, Baton Rouge, LA (504) 925-7885 Maine Elections Office, Augusta, ME(207) 287-6308 Maryland Board of Elections, Annapolis, MD(410) 974-3711 Massachusetts Office of Director of Elections, Boston, MA(617) 727-2828 Michigan Office of Director of Elections, Lansing, MI (517) 373-2540 Minnesota Office of Secretary of State, St. Paul, MN(612) 296-2805 Mississippi Elections Office, Jackson, MS(601) 359-1350 Missouri Elections Services, Jefferson City, MO(314) 751-4875 Montana Office of Secretary of State, Helena, MT(406) 444-4732 Nebraska Office of Secretary of State, Lincoln, NE(402) 471-2554 Nevada Office of Secretary of State for Elections, Carson City, NV (702) 687-3176 New Hampshire Assistant Secretary of State, Concord, NH(603) 271-3242 New Jersey Election Division, Trenton, NJ(609) 292-3761 New Mexico Bureau of Elections, Santa Fe, NM(505) 827-3622 New York State Board of Elections, Albany, NY(518) 474-8100 North Carolina State Board of Elections, Raleigh, NC(919) 733-7173 North Dakota ** No Voter Registration** Ohio Office of Secretary of State, Columbus, OH(614) 466-2585 Oklahoma State Election Board, Oklahoma City, OK(405) 521-2391 Oregon Office of Secretary of State, Salem, OR(503) 986-1518 Pennsylvania Office of Commissioner of Elections, Harrisburg, PA (717) 787-5280 Rhode Island Office of Director of Elections, Providence, RI (401) 277-2340 South Carolina State Election Commission, Columbia, SC(803) 734-9060 South Dakota Office of Supervisor of Elections, Pierre, SD (605) 773-3537 Tennessee Elections Office, Nashville, TN(615) 741-7956 Texas Office of Secretary of State, Austin, TX(512) 463-5650 Utah Office of Director of Elections, Salt Lake City, UT (801) 538-1040 Vermont Office of Secretary of State, Montpelier, VT (802) 828-2304 Virginia State Board of Elections, Richmond, VA(804) 786-6551 Washington Office of Election Director, Olympia, WA(360) 753-2336 West Virginia Office of Chief of Staff, Charleston, WV(304) 558-6000 Wisconsin State Elections Board, Madison, WI(608) 266-8005 Wyoming Deputy Secretary of State, Cheyenne, WY(307) 777-5333 {The following is a box.} United Cerebral Palsy Associations thanks the League of Women Voters, Paraquad, the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities, HumanServe and the many other organizations and individuals who contributed ideas and materials for this issue of WfW. Special thanks to Fred Fay in Massachusetts and Jim Dickson of Washington, DC for their dynamic ideas and suggestions, and to illustrator Michael Ripple, Executive Director of UCP of Metro Boston, Massachusetts, for the front cover drawing. {end of box} {A subscription blank is inserted here. $55 for one year. $25 for persons with disabilities of their family member. Send checks to address below.} {A Masthead of top executives at UCPA is inserted here} Word From Washington is a publication of United Cerebral Palsy Associations, 1660 L Street, N.W., Suite 700, Washington, DC 20036. Tels: (800) USA-5UCP or (202) 776-0406. Fax: (202) 776-0414. To get additional copies of this publication on disk please contact Jenifer Simpson, Policy Associate, Government Activities, Community Services Division, United Cerebral Palsy Associations, Inc. Tel: 202-973-7111 or Fax 202-785-3508 or email jeniferjs@aol.com. PLEASE SUBSCRIBE. AN UPDATED VERSION OF THIS PUBLICATION IS LIKELY TO BE PRINTED