Know Your Rights

Know Your Voter Rights

If you are a voter with a disability who has a complaint regarding your voting experience, you should consider filing a complaint.

You have the right to vote privately and independently.

HAVA has enabled voters with disabilities to fully exercise the fundamental right to vote privately and independently by requiring that every polling place have at least one accessible voting system for all federal elections.

You have the right to an accessible polling place

The ADA requires that public entities ensure that people with disabilities can access and use all of their voting facilities. The federal government has published an ADA Checklist for Polling Places to help voting officials understand what makes a polling place accessible.

You have the right to use an accessible voting machine

All polling places are required by law to have an accessible voting machine. This machine will allow voters to independently mark the ballot.

You have the right to assistance marking your ballot

If you need help marking your ballot on Election Day, you may take anyone you choose with you into the voting booth, except your employer or your labor union representative. After you have marked your ballot, the person helping you must then sign the ballot in the space provided. Also, the election workers will write the name of your assistor on the voting list. Your assistor does not need to be qualified to vote.

You have the right to ask for reasonable accommodations

Some common reasonable accommodations at the polling place that people ask for might be:

  • a chair to sit
  • a signature guide
  • a magnifying glass
  • assistance with stating a person's name and address

You have the right to request curbside voting

If you cannot enter the polling place or absentee voting location due to disability, curbside voting is available.  Two poll workers will bring you your ballot and conduct voting at your vehicle or at the polling place entrance. If you vote curbside, you are not required to sign the poll list. Instead, the poll workers will write “exempt by order of inspectors” in the signature space on the poll list.