Voting Rights, Accommodations & Helpful Information for PA Voters with Disabilities on Election Day
Your Voting Rights | I have the right . . .
- — To vote by myself and make my own choice.
- — To get help from a person of my choice or an election worker.
- — To a physically accessible polling place and the use of an accessible voting machine.
- — To vote if I have a guardian, unless a court determines I cannot.
You have a right to Election Accommodations on Election Day | You can . . .
- — Ask to move to the front of the line.
- — Bring someone to help you.
- — Have headphones to hear your ballot.
- — Have sample ballots in an alternative format.
- — Have accessible parking.
- — Have temporary ramps.
- — Use a communication board.
- — Access voting machines for voters in wheelchairs.
- — Use different colored voting screens.
Helpful Information for PA Voters with Disabilities on Election Day
To fix a problem at the polls, before you leave the polling place
- — Talk to the head election judge, and if they can’t fix it, ask them to contact a county or city election official. If that doesn’t work:
- — Contact the Election Protection hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683) or Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania at 1-800-692-7443.
- — File a written complaint at your polling place.
If someone challenges your right to vote, the election judge must
- — Put you under oath and have you swear to tell the truth;
- — Ask you whether you are under a court ordered guardianship where the court took away your right to vote;
- — If you answer that you eligible to vote, you MUST be allowed to vote.
If you can’t get into your polling place, you can register and vote from your vehicle
- — Ask the head judge to find two election judges to come outside to help you.
If you make a mistake before submitting your ballot
- — You may go back and make corrections, follow the directions on the voting system screen or ask for help from a voting official.
If you cannot sign your name
- — You have the right to tell the election judge who you are and tell another person to sign your name for you on the roster.
It is against the law for anyone in the polling place to try to influence your vote.
This article was written for the PEAL Center’s Fall 2016 Newsletter. Read the full newsletter here.
