Voting and Disability Resource List Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 Answers to ADA Questions 1 General ADA Information 2 Accessible Voting Resources 2 Reports and Guidelines on Voting System Accessibility 4 Best Practices for Voting Accessibility 4 State Government Voting Information for Southeast Region 6 U.S. Department of Justice Voting Information 7 Voting Initiatives 8 Other Federal Laws About Voting 9 Answers to ADA Questions DBTAC: Southeast ADA Center A project of Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University 1-800-949-4232 (voice/TTY) Email: sedbtacproject@law.syr.edu Website: www.sedbtac.org The DBTAC: Southeast ADA Center—a project of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University—is one of ten regional resource centers funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) of the U.S. Department of Education. Our purpose is to provide accurate ADA information, informal technical assistance and training on the ADA to employers, business, government, and people with disabilities. All calls are confidential! General ADA Information Resources from the DBTAC: National Network of ADA Centers ADA Document Portal The ADA Document Portal consists of more than 7,400 documents. Users may search the collection by topic or by entering keywords. www.dbtac.vcu.edu/adaportal/ ADA Legal Updates and Issues In partnership with the DBTAC: Southeast ADA Center, the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) analyzes ADA-related legal and policy developments relevant to civil rights protections and the impact of court decisions in the Southeast Region. www.sedbtac.org/legalissues.php?idpg=14 ADA Publication List www.sedbtac.org/ada/publications/PUBlist.doc An annotated Publication List distributed by the DBTAC: Southeast ADA Center. ADA Training Resource Center This comprehensive site features ADA training materials, including Case Law, Case Studies, Handouts, Statistics & Quotes, and TIPS Sheets, plus information on other training opportunities such as audioconferences, webcourses, distance learning, and in-person events. www.adacourse.org TIPS: Technical Information Perspectives and Solutions www.sedbtac.org/ada/training/trainingTemplate.php?ref=FS Fact sheets that provide accurate information on issues and concerns related to the ADA. Accessible Voting Resources Accessible Voting Guide: Developed by the American Council of the Blind www.acb.org/resources/votingbook1.html Independent, Secret and Verifiable: A Guide to Making Voting an Independent and Accessible Process for People Who Are Blind and Visually Impaired was developed by the American Council of the Blind to address issues involved in making the voting process accessible to people who are blind. Vote 2004: Will People with Disabilities Be Able To Vote? What Are the Issues and Where Are We Today? ADA Audio Conference Archive Transcript: (October 19, 2004) www.ada-audio.org/Archives/?type=transcript&id=2004-10-19 ADA Checklist for Polling Places www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/votingck.htm A checklist developed by the U.S. Department of Justice to evaluate polling place accessibility. Center for an Accessible Society: People with Disabilities and Voting www.accessiblesociety.org/topics/voting/index.htm A collection of articles highlighting issues about people with disabilities and voting. Access to Voting Pocket Guide www.adainformation.org/Access%20to%20Voting%20Pocket%20Guide.aspx This Guide depicts the most common sign language "signs" used in a voting environment. This valuable tool also provides tips to effectively communicate with voters with disabilities. This includes disability etiquette tips, and a polling place "quick look" accessibility checklist. Poster: Barrier-Free Voting www.adainformation.org/Barrier-Free%20Voting%20Poster.aspx This poster depicts an accessible voting location in both words and pictures. It was designed to support awareness of accessibility requirements for voters with disabilities under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). Video: Voter Access A 10-minute video DVD produced by the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office that provides guidelines on recognizing obstacles confronting voters with various disabilities and tips on how to eliminate them. It also discusses techniques to improve communication with voters who may have disabilities and the accessibility options of the touch screen voting unit. The video is available for loan from the Southeast DBTAC for a $50.00 refundable deposit. For more information, contact: DBTAC: Southeast ADA Center 1419 Mayson Street Atlanta, GA 30324 1-800-949-4232 (v/tty) 404-541-9001 (v/tty) sedbtacproject@law.syr.edu VOTE! Campaign Manual: Developed by the Tennessee Disability Coalition www.tndisability.org/publicpolicy/Voter_Empowerment_Manual.doc Voting Rights and the ADA: Developed by the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law www.bazelon.org/votingflyer.html Voting Rights Under the Americans with Disabilities Act: Are People with Intellectual or Psychiatric Disabilities Protected? www.sedbtac.org/ada/publications/legal/voting_rights_under_ADA_intellectual_psychiatric_disabilities.doc Reports and Guidelines on Voting System Accessibility Elderly Voters: Some Improvements in Voting Accessibility from 2000 to 2004 Elections, but Gaps in Policy and Implementation Remain United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) Testimony before the Special Committee on Aging, United States Senate www.gao.gov/new.items/d08442t.pdf (PDF file) www.gao.gov/htext/d08442t.html (Text file) Voters with Disabilities: Access to Polling Places and Alternative Voting Methods United States General Accounting Office (GAO) Report to Congressional Requesters www.gao.gov/new.items/d02107.pdf (PDF file) National Council on Disability (NCD) Statement: Voluntary Voting System Guidelines www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2006/voluntary_voting.htm Trace Research & Development Center: Voting Accessibility http://trace.wisc.edu/voting/ Best Practices for Voting Accessibility “A best practice is a technique or method that, through experience and research, has proven to reliably lead to a desired result.” (Source: http://searchsoftwarequality.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid92_gci498678,00.html) National Resource National Disability Rights Network: Protection and Advocacy for Voting Access (PAVA) www.napas.org/issues/voting/pava/ State Resources for Southeast Region Alabama * Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program: Voting Rights for People with Disabilities www.adap.net/vote/havabook.pdf Florida * The Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities, Inc.: Voluntary Guidelines for Accessible Political Campaigns www.napas.org/issues/voting/pava/VolGuidelines.pdf Kentucky * Kentucky Protection and Advocacy: Your Voice: Your Vote www.napas.org/issues/voting/pava/KY-Your_Voice_Your_Vote.pdf * Kentucky Protection and Advocacy: Voting When You Have a Guardian www.napas.org/issues/voting/pava/KYguardian.pdf * Kentucky Protection and Advocacy: Voter Experience Survey www.kypa.net/drupal/node/658 South Carolina * South Carolina Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities, Inc.: Directions for Voters Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing www.napas.org/issues/voting/pava/SCDeaf.pdf Tennessee * Tennessee Protection and Advocacy, Inc.: A Guide for Voters with Disabilities www.napas.org/issues/voting/pava/TNInserts.pdf State Government Voting Information for Southeast Region Alabama * Office of the Secretary of State: Elections Division www.sos.state.al.us/Elections/Default.aspx * Alabama Help America Vote Act (HAVA) Information www.sos.state.al.us/Elections/HAVA.aspx * Alabama Voter Guide www.sos.state.al.us/downloads/election/2008/2008vg.pdf Florida * Florida Department of State: Division of Elections http://election.dos.state.fl.us/ * Florida Help America Vote Act (HAVA) Information http://election.dos.state.fl.us/hava/index.shtml Kentucky * Kentucky State Board of Elections http://sos.ky.gov/elections/ * Kentucky Help America Vote Act (HAVA) Information http://sos.ky.gov/elections/hava/ Mississippi * Mississippi Secretary of State: Elections Division www.sos.state.ms.us/elections/elections.asp * Mississippi Help America Vote Act (HAVA) Information www.sos.state.ms.us/elections/HAVA/HAVA.asp North Carolina * North Carolina State Board of Elections www.sboe.state.nc.us * North Carolina Voting Accessibility www.sboe.state.nc.us/NCSBE/Voting/voting_access.html South Carolina * South Carolina Election Commission www.scvotes.org * South Carolina Help America Vote Act (HAVA) Information www.scvotes.org/hava_help_america_vote_act_of_2002 * South Carolina Information for Voters with Disabilities www.scvotes.org/voters_with_disabilities * South Carolina Poll Worker Training Videos o Poll Manager Voting Machine Overview o Polling Place Accessibility www.scvotes.org/poll_worker_training_videos Tennessee * Tennessee Secretary of State: Division of Elections http://tennessee.gov/sos/election/statecom.htm * Tennessee Help America Vote Act (HAVA) Information http://tennessee.gov/sos/election/hava/index.htm * Tennessee Disability Coalition VOTE! Campaign www.tndisability.org/publicpolicy/vote.php U.S. Department of Justice Voting Information U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Voting Section www.usdoj.gov/crt/voting Cases Raising Claims Under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) * United States v. Bolivar County, Mississippi (N.D. Miss. 2008) On February 15, 2008, the United States filed a complaint alleging that county officials violated Section 302(a) of the HAVA, by failing to establish a free access system for voters to ascertain whether their provisional ballots were counted during elections for Federal office. On February 27, the court entered the consent decree which provides procedures for the County to follow to ensure that voters who cast provisional ballots receive the required information about their ballots following the election. o Press Release: www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2008/February/08_crt_120.html o Complaint: www.usdoj.gov/crt/voting/hava/bolivar_comp.pdf o Consent Decree: www.usdoj.gov/crt/voting/hava/bolivar_cd.pdf * United States v. State of Alabama (M.D. Ala. 2006) In this Action, the United States alleged in its complaint that the State of Alabama and its chief elections office had not taken the actions necessary to achieve timely compliance with Sections 303(a) and 303(b) of the Help America Vote Act, including implementing a uniform, official, interactive computerized statewide voter registration list, coordinating with necessary statewide agency databases and the Social Security Administration regarding the statewide voter registration list and failing to collect proscribed identification information from applicants for voting. The court ordered a special master to take control of the HAVA compliance process and required the State to remedy its HAVA violations by August 31, 2007. o Complaint: www.usdoj.gov/crt/voting/hava/al_hava.htm U.S. Department of Justice Technical Assistance Letters * Bob Wise, Accessible Polling Place: www.usdoj.gov/crt/foia/tal642.txt * Denver, CO Election Commission: www.usdoj.gov/crt/foia/tal392.txt * Pinellas County, FL, Polling Access: www.usdoj.gov/crt/foia/tal378.txt * Clark County, NV: www.usdoj.gov/crt/foia/tal373.txt * South Carolina Election Commission: www.usdoj.gov/crt/foia/tal631.txt Voting Initiatives American Association of Persons with Disabilities (AAPD) Disability Vote Project AAPD's Disability Vote Project will push for meaningful election reform, continue efforts to get out the disability vote, focus on polling place and voting system access, encourage disability service providers to comply with the provisions of the National Voter Registration Act, and encourage people with disabilities to run for office and to get involved in the political process for the candidate of their choice. www.aapd.com/dvpmain/dvpindex.php National Disability Rights Network: Protection and Advocacy for Voting Access Protection and Advocacy for Voting Access (PAVA) is the Protection and Advocacy program to ensure election access to individuals with disabilities. www.napas.org/issues/voting/default.htm Other Federal Laws About Voting Help America Vote Act (HAVA) www.usdoj.gov/crt/voting/hava/hava.html www.votingaccess.org National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (Motor Voter Act) www.usdoj.gov/crt/voting/nvra/activ_nvra.htm Voting Rights Act www.usdoj.gov/crt/voting/overview.htm#vra www.napas.org/issues/voting/laws/vra.htm Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act www.napas.org/issues/voting/laws/vaeha.htm Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act www.fvap.gov/laws/laws.html www.fvap.gov DISCLAIMER The DBTAC: Southeast ADA Center (Southeast DBTAC) is authorized by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) to provide information, materials, and technical assistance to individuals and entities that are covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) under Grant # H133A060094. However, you should be aware that NIDRR is not responsible for enforcement of the ADA. For more information or assistance, please contact the Southeast DBTAC via its web site at www.sedbtac.org by calling 1-800-949-4232 (v/tty) [AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN] or 404-541-9001 (v/tty). The information, materials, and/or technical assistance are intended solely as informal guidance, and are neither a determination of your legal rights or responsibilities under the Act, nor binding on any agency with enforcement responsibility under the ADA. The Southeast DBTAC does not warrant the accuracy of any information contained herein. Any links to non-Southeast DBTAC information are provided as a courtesy and are not intended to nor do they constitute an endorsement of the linked materials. Voting and Disability Resource List Page 2 of 9 1419 Mayson Street ? Atlanta, GA 30324 (404) 541-9001 ? (800) 949-4232 (v/tty) ? (404) 541-9002 (Fax) sedbtacproject@law.syr.edu ? www.sedbtac.org Funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research of the U.S. Department of Education #H133A060094