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Tips for Voters with Disabilities
Did you know???
- According to the National Organization on Disability, in the year 2000 only 41 percent of voting-age Americans with disabilities exercised their right to vote compared to 51 percent of voting-age Americans without disabilities.
- According to the Voting and Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act of 1984, registration and polling sites shall be accessible. If the site is not accessible, the Act calls for the site to be moved to a different location or for a polling official to come to the home of an individual who is not able to access the site to aid the person in becoming registered to vote or to take their ballot.
- If your polling site is not accessible, you have the option of accessing a site that has been deemed accessible. In Marion County, this polling site is located in the City County Building, at 200 E. Washington Street. To access this site, an application must be submitted at least 10 days prior to the election.
- If an individual is unable to leave his or her home due to disability, an option that may be exercised is absentee voting. An Absentee Traveling Board consisting of a bi-partisan team can travel to the residence of the voter and take his or her ballot. The Traveling Board begins taking ballots two weeks prior to a given election and continues taking votes up until the day before the election.
- To vote absentee by mail, an application must be received by the County Election Board at least eight days prior to the election. Absentee voting can begin 29 days before the election.
- To request an application that will allow you to vote by absentee ballot, you may call the Marion County Election Board at (317) 327-5100. The application form has a box that can be checked to indicate your need for either a mail-in absentee ballot or Traveling Board.
- An individual with a permanent or temporary disability may designate a companion to assist the person in the voting booth. An Affidavit of Voter Assistance must be completed by the individual providing assistance before he or she enters the booth.
- If a person with a disability needs assistance in the voting booth and does not have a designated companion, both judges must accompany that person into the voting booth.
- Chairs should be made available to voters who have difficulty standing for extended periods of time.
- In order to vote, you must be registered with the election board in your county of residence. Voter registration application forms can be down loaded via the Secretary of State’s website at http://www.in.gov/sos/elections/ or you may contact the Marion County Board of Registration for information about becoming registered to vote by calling (317) 327-5040.
- If you are not registered to vote and you are a person with a disability receiving services from a government agency or private entity that receives state funding, that organization may have the necessary paperwork on site to aid you in becoming registered to vote.
- If you are interested in becoming a poll worker you can contact the county election office or your political party office.
If you have questions or concerns regarding your voting rights or other issues surrounding the election process before, after, or on the day of the election, you can call the Marion County Election Board at (317) 327-5100.
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