Despite federal laws requiring accessible voting places and procedures, barriers persist for disabled people and older adults that prevent eligible voters from registering to vote and casting their ballot. A report by the Government Accountability Office revealed that only 17% of polling places were fully accessible in 2016. Another report to the Election Assistance Commission found that disabled voters in 2020 encountered barriers to voting at double the rate of people without disabilities.
Many older Americans and people with disabilities find it difficult to secure accessible and reliable transportation to polling places. It can be challenging, if not impossible, for disabled voters to wait in long lines to cast their ballot. And many disabled voters face communication barriers with election officials and poll workers. The Accessible Voting Act (AVA) would help close gaps in accessibility for voters with disabilities, providing guidance and resources so that accessible voting becomes a standard for everyone.
The AVA will:
- Establish an Office of Accessibility within the Election Assistance Commission to support and oversee state efforts to expand voting accessibility and serve as an expert resource for advocates and voters.
- Establish a National Voter Accessibility website, hosted by the Office of Accessibility, to provide information and technical assistance nationwide on voting accessibility, registering to vote, and casting a ballot.
- Establish a National Resource Center on Accessible Voting that would provide cultural competency training to election officials and poll workers on how to create fully accessible polling places.
- Provide money to states to maintain accessible websites that provide information about the voting process in ways all voters can understand, regardless of disability.
How can you help?
In our efforts to ensure that this bill passes through Congress, please contact your Senators and your Member of the House of Representatives to encourage them to sponsor the Accessible Voting Act. Every call and every voice make a difference!
You can call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to be connected to your two Senators or Member of the House of Representatives, or you can use the links below to find their contact information.
- Find the name and contact information for your Member of Congress
- Find the name and contact information for your two U.S. Senators
You can use our templates below as a guide when contacting your elected officials. You can also consider sharing an example of how you have encountered barriers to voting and the impact that interaction had on your community involvement.
Sample Scripts and Email Templates
For your Member of Congress:
For your Senators:
