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How Maine is making it easier for voters with disabilities to participate in elections

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How Maine is making it easier for voters with disabilities to participate in elections

Sep 15, 2024 | 5:58 am ET
By AnnMarie Hilton
How Maine is making it easier for voters with disabilities to participate in elections
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A polling station at Cape Elizabeth High School on Election Day, Nov. 7, 2023. (Jim Neuger/ Maine Morning Star)

How Maine is making it easier for voters with disabilities to participate in elections
There can be many barriers to voting for people with disabilities, from transportation to filling out a paper ballot, but the Maine Department of the Secretary of State wants to ensure that all eligible voters can participate in elections. 

“Our elections are best when everyone has a chance to make their voice heard at the ballot box,” Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said in a news release.

Following the 2023 election, Disability Rights Maine visited 160 polling places across all 16 counties and found that 79 — just about half — of them weren’t in compliance with accessibility laws. The group published a report with their findings that outlined the most common violations such as poor signage for accessible entrances and parking spaces, explained Molly Thompson, a voting access advocate.

“Luckily, the vast majority of barriers can be fixed with simple solutions,” Thompson said.

Since then, Thompson said the organization has partnered with the Secretary of State’s Office to train hundreds of municipal clerks about how to improve accessibility at polling places. 

Given the amount of training Disability Rights Maine has offered and how receptive people have been, Thompson said the organization is “cautiously optimistic” that there will be greater accessibility this November.

In recognition of National Disability Voting Rights Week, which concluded Saturday, the Secretary of State’s office is highlighting the ways that state election laws and policies encourage voters with disabilities to participate in elections. 

In an August proclamation recognizing Disability Voting Rights Week, Gov. Janet Mills highlighted the civic contributions of the more than 340,000 people — almost a quarter of the state’s population — living with a disability in Maine.

In the document, Mills cites the fact that “the disability community has a critical interest in policies and decisions made and enacted at the local, state, and national levels that impact their lives directly,” though she noted that “despite federal and state protections in law, people with disabilities can still face barriers to voting.”

Among the policies and procedures that ensure that elections are accessible to people with a variety of disabilities is a new ongoing absentee voting option that was implemented earlier this year. Voters who will be 65 or older by November or who self-identify as having a disability can apply for ongoing absentee ballots by filling out a form available on the Secretary of State’s website. 

After applying, those who qualify will automatically receive an absentee ballot for every statewide, municipal or other election for which they are eligible to vote. 

“It’s a wonderful program,” Thompson said.

She pointed out that there can be barriers to voting that are often not thought of such as transportation or internet access, especially for people who live in rural areas. The one-time application eliminates having to repeatedly face those obstacles. 

Accessible absentee ballots 

Voters with print disabilities — such as vision impairment, blindness, learning disabilities or physical dexterity limitations — have the option to request an accessible absentee ballot. This can be done on the online absentee ballot request website.

People must self-certify that their disability prevents them from being able to privately or independently complete a paper absentee ballot. The Secretary of State’s Office said this ensures voters are able to cast their vote while maintaining their right to a secret ballot.

Accessible in-person voting 

In addition to the options that make voting possible without requiring people to step foot in a polling place, there are also systems to enable people with disabilities to vote in-person. 

Municipal clerks in Maine must certify that all polling places are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Secretary of State’s Office said. Staff from the state Division of Elections train and guide municipal clerks on how to select and set up polling places to enhance accessibility. 

Polling places should be equipped with accessible voting systems for voters with print disabilities or anyone else who chooses to use them. Thompson highlighted that these are available for anyone to try and no one should be asked to prove their disability to be able to use it.

For anyone with questions or concerns about voting access in Maine, Disability Rights Maine runs a voting rights hotline that people can call at 800-452-1948. The organization’s website also includes a guide on accessible voting that answers questions about voting logistics and addresses specific circumstances such as being under legal guardianship or in a hospital.

This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org.