This message is from Ellen Pinnes and The Disability Coalition.

As the Americans with Disabilities Act emphasizes, people with disabilities have the right “to fully participate in all aspects of society”, and that includes voting.  Federal law requires that voting be accessible, including for people who are blind or visually impaired.  Like all voters, people with disabilities have the right to privacy and independence in casting their ballot.  

As a voter with a disability, you also have the right to:

• Equal access to websites for voter-related activities
• Equal access to polling sites, including accessible parking and an unobstructed path to the polling site
• Use of an accessible machine – positioned to give you privacy – to cast your vote
• Access to assistance if you need it – If you need help with reading or marking your ballot, you can get help from a friend, family member, caregiver, guardian or poll worker (a representative of your employer or your union can’t do this).

You also have the right to report any difficulties you experience.  Poll workers, county clerks and the Secretary of State’s office can’t fix problems if they don’t know they exist, so you should report any issues you encounter. 

To report a concern, ask for help, or file a complaint:

• Tell a poll worker at the polling site and see if the problem can be corrected right away
• Ask for the precinct judge and report the problem to that person
• Call Disability Rights New Mexico at 505-256-3100 for help; DRNM can often contact the right people and get the problem fixed within minutes
• Call your local County Clerk’s office (you can find contact information at https://www.sos.state.nm.us/voting-and-elections/voter-information-portal/county-clerk-information/)
• Call the Secretary of State’s office at 505-827-3600 and select Option 2 (or call toll-free at 800-477-3632) or email them at sos.elections@sos.nm.gov

For more information specifically for voters with disabilities, check out the helpful FAQs on the Secretary of State’s website at https://www.sos.nm.gov/voting-and-elections/voters-with-disabilities-faqs/.  And don’t forget that you have the rights that ALL voters have, including (among others) the right to be treated with respect, get instructions on how to cast your ballot, and vote as long as you’re already in line when the polls close at 7:00 PM on Election Day.  You can find the full Voter Bill of Rights at https://www.sos.nm.gov/voting-and-elections/voter-information-portal-nmvote-org/voter-bill-of-rights/. 

The Disability Coalition is funded in part by the  New Mexico Developmental Disabilities Council  through Federal Program funding.  Additional funding is provided by  The Arc of New Mexico, Disability Rights New Mexico, the Independent Living Resource Center, and New Vistas. If you would like to receive emails from The Disability Coalition, please send a message to EPinnes@msn.com  with “subscribe” in the subject line.