Protection & Advocacy, Inc.

People with Disabilities VOTE

People with disabilities can and do VOTE. And their votes COUNT.
In national elections, even though early returns from the east
coast show a probable winner, your vote can turn the tide. Even
a vote for a candidate who cannot possibly win makes a
statement. Your non-vote counts too, but not necessarily the way
you want it to.

Why should I vote?

Your vote tells elected officials what you think about how they
are running the government. It tells your elected officials that
you approve or disapprove of their actions. If you do not vote,
who will tell them about people with disabilities? If you do not
vote, how will they know how many people with disabilities live
in their district? If you do not vote, why would they care what
you think of them? Your vote decides whether to build schools,
roads, prisons or dams. Your vote decides whether to raise taxes
or impose fees. Your vote COUNTS.

OK, you convinced me. How do I register to vote?

Get a registration form. Fill it out. Send it in. Anyone can
help you register. The person who helps you register to vote
also signs the registration form and gives a telephone number.
This tells the elections office (a) who helped you fill out the
form and (b) who to call if they have questions about
information on the form.

The state must provide registration and voting aids in large
type for people with vision problems, and by telecommunications
devices for people who cannot hear.

Where do I get a registration form?

Most post offices and many businesses have registration forms on
display. Many McDonalds restaurants have "Register to Vote"
napkins and place mats, and also a supply of registration forms.

Registration forms look like postcards. They are available in
many languages, but not in large type, in Braille or with
instructions on tape. They include information about absentee
ballots.

Political parties, activist groups, and private citizens can go
to any County Clerk or Registrar of Voters office and get
registration forms. Sometimes you see people in shopping malls
or outside grocery stores helping others register to vote. They
must help you register, too, even if their sign says they are
registering people for only one political party.

Political parties often have registration drives and "get out
the vote "campaigns. You can call the office of your preferred
political party and ask them to send someone to your home. They
will help you register or take you to your polling place.

I heard about "Motor Voter" registration. How does that work?

In January 1995 the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 --
the "Motor Voter" law -- went into effect. That law says that
you can get registration forms at the Department of Motor
Vehicles and other public offices. These offices will also take
your completed form and send it to your county elections office.

How can I find out if I am registered to vote?

You can check your registration status by calling the county
elections office (check the County Government listings in your
telephone book). These are also the numbers to call if you want
to order a registration form by mail. The State of California
has a toll-free information line for registration and voting
questions: 1-800-345-VOTE. Protection & Advocacy, Inc.
legal@pai-ca.org 1-800-776-5746

To be eligible to vote in an election, your completed
registration form must be in the county elections office 29 days
before the election date.

How do I know where to go to vote?

Before the election, you will receive a sample ballot. You will
find the address of your polling place on the back of the sample
ballot. It should also say whether your polling place is
accessible. If it is not accessible, ask for another polling
place or another way to vote.

In federal elections, every state must make registration and
voting aids available for elderly voters and people with
disabilities. If you go to your polling place and find that it
is not accessible, the poll workers there must give you an
absentee ballot. There are instructions about absentee ballots
inside the back cover of your sample ballot.

What is an absentee ballot?

An absentee ballot is a ballot that you complete at home and
mail. Your sample ballot will have an application for an
absentee ballot. Fill in the application and mail it to the
county elections office. You can also write to the county
elections office and ask for an absentee ballot. The county
elections office must receive your request at least seven days
before the election.

You can also ask for "permanent absent voter" status if you have
certain disabilities. Just check the box for "permanent absent
voter" status on your application for an absentee ballot, or
write to the elections office. If you move often, you can keep
one residence address -- a place you stay in touch with as you
move around -- and have your absentee ballot sent to that
address or to a different address.

What if I cannot read the sample ballot?

Sample ballots are available in many languages if you do not
read English. Voters with disabilities or voters who do not read
can get help from another person. You can choose the person you
want to help you. Sample ballots are not available in large
print or Braille, but you can get tape recordings of state
ballots at public libraries.

You will find it helpful to mark your sample ballot as you
decide how to vote. Then use the sample ballot as a guide when
you go to the polling place. That way, you can just follow the
numbers on your sample ballot and be sure you are voting the way
you intended to vote.

I have never voted. What do I do when I get to the polling
place?

1. A poll worker will ask you for your name and address. Show
the poll worker your sample ballot. It has your name and address
on the outside. The poll worker will then ask you to sign your
name and write your address in the voter list book. If you do
not read or write, anyone you choose can help you write your
name and address.

2. In a primary election, another poll worker will ask you
whether you registered as a Democrat, Republican, Independent,
Green, Libertarian, Peace and Freedom, etc. That poll worker
will give you the ballot, or direct you to a voting machine, for
your party. In a general election, the ballots or voting
machines will be the same for every party. The poll worker will
just hand you a ballot or direct you to a voting booth.

3. If the polling place uses punch card ballots, you will take
your ballot and go into a private booth. You (or the person
helping you) will slide the ballot into a special slot. This
places the ballot so that it lines up with the voting booklet in
the booth. If the polling place uses voting machines, you will
simply go into the booth the poll worker indicates.

4. With punch card ballots, you will use a device to punch holes
in the ballot. With a voting machine, you will move switches or
levers to select the numbers. In both cases, the numbers for
these punches, switches or levers are the same as the numbers on
your sample ballot. If you need help, you can ask someone to
come into the booth with you. You have the right, however, to
complete privacy in the voting booth.

5. When you finish voting, remove the ballot from the voting
booklet or follow the directions on the voting machine. Take
your ballot to the poll worker by the ballot box. The poll
worker will tear off one end of the ballot and hand it to you,
and put your ballot in the ballot box. Your stub shows that you
voted.

Can I vote if I live in a board-and-care home?

Yes. All you have to do is register to vote. You can do that by
mail. It does not make any difference if you live in a
developmental center, an institute for mental disease, a
board-and-care facility, or your own home.

Some larger residential facilities have their own polling
places. If you cannot get to a polling place, you can apply for
an absentee ballot and vote by mail. Be sure to mail your ballot
in time to be counted. If you miss the mailing date, though, you
can still take your absentee ballot to your normal polling place
on election day.

You have the right to vote no matter where you live unless a
court has found you "mentally incompetent" and "not capable of
completing an affidavit of voter registration."

I have a conservator. Can I vote if the court found me "mentally
incompetent"?

In many cases, yes. The court rules separately on whether a
proposed conservatee can (a) drive a car; (b) enter into
contracts; (c) vote; (d) refuse or consent to medical treatment
relating to his/her grave disability; (e) refuse or consent to
routine medical treatment; and (f) carry a firearm. Even if the
court finds you incompetent to drive a car or carry a gun, you
may still have the competence to vote. The court can also
restore your right to vote if you show that you can complete an
affidavit of voter registration.

Register Now!

Call Voter Registration 24 Hours a Day -- Your Vote Counts! --
Vote! -- Get Involved!

1-800-345-VOTE -- English

1-800-232-VOTA -- Spanish

To find out who your elected representatives are -- State
Senators and State Assembly Members, U.S. Senators and U.S.
Representatives, and local elected officials -- call the county
elections office. Check the County Government listings in your
telephone book to find your county elections office.

Your county elections office can also tell you how to contact
your elected representatives. Let your representatives know that
you are a registered voter and that you vote. Tell them how you
feel about laws that affect people with disabilities.Protection
& Advocacy, Inc. legal@pai-ca.org 1-800-776-574