Designing Accessible Elections : Recommendations from Disability Voting Rights Advocates
(2022) In Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy 21(1). p.60-83- Abstract
Disability is frequently cited as a reason that Americans do not vote. This article offers legal and policy practitioner perspectives on core challenges people with disabilities face in exercising their voting rights in the United States, from obtaining election information to casting their ballots. Drawing on our collective experience-which includes professional experience as advocates working to improve access to voting for people with disabilities, as well as first-hand knowledge of how people with disabilities navigate the voting process-we analyze some of the main reasons why barriers persist, despite robust federal accessibility mandates. In doing so, we provide insights into how local and state election officials can improve... (More)
Disability is frequently cited as a reason that Americans do not vote. This article offers legal and policy practitioner perspectives on core challenges people with disabilities face in exercising their voting rights in the United States, from obtaining election information to casting their ballots. Drawing on our collective experience-which includes professional experience as advocates working to improve access to voting for people with disabilities, as well as first-hand knowledge of how people with disabilities navigate the voting process-we analyze some of the main reasons why barriers persist, despite robust federal accessibility mandates. In doing so, we provide insights into how local and state election officials can improve election policies, practices, and procedures. In presenting our recommendations, we suggest that there is no one-stop, "silver-bullet"solution for achieving accessible elections. An effective pathway toward improvement would involve consulting with a broad spectrum of local residents with disabilities, maintaining close and ongoing dialogue with them about their needs and preferences, and tailoring election programs accordingly.
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- author
- Syed, Ihaab ; Bishop, Michelle ; Brannon, Sarah ; Hudson, Erika and Lee, Kristen
- publishing date
- 2022-03
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- absentee voting, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), disability voting rights, print disabilities, voters with disabilities, voting accessibility
- in
- Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy
- volume
- 21
- issue
- 1
- pages
- 24 pages
- publisher
- Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85127206435
- ISSN
- 1533-1296
- DOI
- 10.1089/elj.2020.0677
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- id
- 705f2215-7fb3-416a-a7d7-2b8a1d9f52f0
- date added to LUP
- 2022-05-09 15:16:41
- date last changed
- 2022-05-09 17:00:46
@article{705f2215-7fb3-416a-a7d7-2b8a1d9f52f0,
abstract = {{<p>Disability is frequently cited as a reason that Americans do not vote. This article offers legal and policy practitioner perspectives on core challenges people with disabilities face in exercising their voting rights in the United States, from obtaining election information to casting their ballots. Drawing on our collective experience-which includes professional experience as advocates working to improve access to voting for people with disabilities, as well as first-hand knowledge of how people with disabilities navigate the voting process-we analyze some of the main reasons why barriers persist, despite robust federal accessibility mandates. In doing so, we provide insights into how local and state election officials can improve election policies, practices, and procedures. In presenting our recommendations, we suggest that there is no one-stop, "silver-bullet"solution for achieving accessible elections. An effective pathway toward improvement would involve consulting with a broad spectrum of local residents with disabilities, maintaining close and ongoing dialogue with them about their needs and preferences, and tailoring election programs accordingly.</p>}},
author = {{Syed, Ihaab and Bishop, Michelle and Brannon, Sarah and Hudson, Erika and Lee, Kristen}},
issn = {{1533-1296}},
keywords = {{absentee voting; Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); disability voting rights; print disabilities; voters with disabilities; voting accessibility}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
pages = {{60--83}},
publisher = {{Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.}},
series = {{Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy}},
title = {{Designing Accessible Elections : Recommendations from Disability Voting Rights Advocates}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/elj.2020.0677}},
doi = {{10.1089/elj.2020.0677}},
volume = {{21}},
year = {{2022}},
}