By Sheryl Swingley—
MUNCIE, IN—Disability Voting Rights Week, Sept. 14-18, is a nonpartisan movement hosted by the American Association of People with Disabilities’ REV UP campaign to increase the voting bloc of disabled Americans.
Only 15.8 million of the more than 40.2 million eligible voters with disabilities participated in the November 2022 elections. It is estimated that one in six voters are disabled. If people with disabilities voted at the same rate as nondisabled voters, there would be about 2 million more voters.
“Voting by mail is an important option for people with disabilities,” said Linda Hanson, president of the Indiana League of Women Voters and the spokesperson for the Muncie-Delaware County League.
For many, it is their only option to cast a ballot. In an analysis of the 2024 election, more than 60% of voters whose disabilities significantly affect daily activities said their disability influenced their decision to vote by mail, according to a Rutgers University analysis of census voter turnout data.
“This means that policies that restrict mail ballots disproportionately burden disabled voters,” Hanson said. “In 2022, the U.S. saw an increase in turnout of voters with disabilities, but the turnout rate was still lower than voters without disabilities. “One reason is that people with disabilities are three times as likely to face barriers when trying to vote.”
People with disabilities have two options to vote, according to Indiana election law: apply for an application for an absentee ballot by 11:59 p.m. Oct. 22, or apply by noon on Monday, Nov. 2 for the Travel Board to come to their place of residence.
However, Hanson encourages anyone who qualifies for an absentee ballot or voting at home not to wait until the last minute to apply for an application.
“We want your vote to count and avoid possible mail delivery issues,” Hanson said.
The U.S. Postal Service advises absentee voters to have their completed ballots back in the mail two weeks before the election, which means a completed absentee ballot should be in the mail by Oct. 20, two days before the deadline to request an application for an absentee ballot.
To qualify for in-home voting and receive a visit from the Travel Board, a voter must be confined at home due to illness or injury; be a caregiver in a private residence; or have a disability, e.g., can’t walk far enough to vote in a vote center or at the Voter Registration Office.
Before citizens can secure an absentee ballot or vote at home, they must be registered to vote. Citizens can check to see if they are registered at VOTE411.org. If citizens are not registered to vote, they also can register to vote at VOTE411.org. The deadline to register to vote this election season is Monday, Oct. 7.
To make it easy to secure an absentee ballot, any voter who qualifies for an absentee ballot can go to VOTE.org, an award-winning website sponsored by the national headquarters of the League of Women Voters, and request an absentee ballot.
Voters can return absentee ballots by mail, in person to the Voter Registration Office in the voters’ respective county, or drop off their ballot at any polling place no later than 6 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5.
The Voter Registration Office in Delaware County is in the Delaware County Building, 100 W. Main St., Room 104.
Any citizens who secure an absentee ballot and then decide they want to vote early at their respective county buildings or at their polling place on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, must take their absentee ballot and return it to poll workers. Those poll workers will then cancel the absentee ballot. If the absentee ballot is not surrendered, the voter will be given a provisional ballot.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization working to protect and expand voting rights and ensure everyone is represented in the country’s democracy.
The League, since its founding in 1920, strives to empower voters and defend democracy through advocacy, education, and litigation at the local, state and national levels.
In addition, the League never supports or opposes political parties or candidates. Instead, it takes positions on issues that affect voters. Positions might align with a party or a candidate at times but diverge at other times. The League’s focus is always on policies and measures that serve the public interest – not party affiliation.
The League of Women Voters Education Fund and local leagues work to register and inform voters through the election resources of VOTE411.org and candidate forums.
People of all different governing beliefs are eligible to join local chapters of the League of Women Voters. No invitation is needed. To join the Muncie-Delaware County League, go to https://www.lwvmunciedelaware.org/.
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