Register to Vote
Voter Registration Forms
This one stop resource from the Election Assistance Commission has all the information you need to get registered to vote. On the site you can find forms to print, fill in, and send to the correct address in your state.
Voter Registration Deadlines
In order to vote, you must be registered in advance. Do you know your state’s voter registration deadline? Not sure? Click here and find out.
Know Your Rights
First of all, polling places are required under the Americans with Disabilities Act to meet certain accessibility standards. Simply put, individuals with all disabilities have the right to access the polling place and cast their vote.
For individuals that need assistance with casting their vote, they have the right to get help from a person of their choosing to help them at the polls, including one of the election workers present there.
Many states offer absentee or mail voting options for people with disabilities that request it. Absentee voting allows an individual to mail in their vote as opposed to physically going to their polling place. Find more information about your state’s laws HERE.
Problems with Voting?
If you face issues at any point during the registration or voting process, we recommend calling 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683). The Election Protection Coalition offers excellent voter protection services and is highly knowledgeable regarding voting rights in all 50 states.
If you believe your federal voting rights were violated, the US Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division- Voting Section allows you to submit a complaint through a variety of ways. Click here for more information.
National Voting Resources
Voting is an issue that many different groups take seriously. Below is a collection of voting resources that should answer any questions you may have about the voting process.
- Know You Right to Vote Resource Page (The Arc)
- US Election Assistance Commission
- Department of Justice and Disability Voting Rights Technical Assistance
- Checklist for polling places (ADA)
- National Disabilities Rights Network’s Voting Handbook
- Vote 411
- SmartVoter
- National Voter Registration Day
- Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE) Voter Guide
- Bazelon Center Guide to Voting Rights of People with Mental Disabilities
- National Youth Leadership Network: The Power of Voting
- Nonprofit Vote: Voting with a Disability
- Research Alliance for Accessible Voting: Guidelines for Assisting Voters with Disabilities
- Leadership Conference Voting Information
- Guide to Voting (AUCD)
- Vote: It’s Your Right (Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law)
Create Your Organization’s Non-Partisan GOTV Plan Today!
NCIL (National Council on Independent Living) is proud to announce the 2018 GOTV (Get Out the Vote) Guide is now available! This newly updated guide now includes information to help organizations and individuals plan and implement a GOTV strategy through phone banking, text banking, and social media. The guide includes information on messaging, best practices, and toolkits available to help you encourage your consumers, members, friends, and family to vote.
The 2018 midterm elections have already shown to be critical, with many underdog candidates winning their primaries in surprising upsets. GOTV efforts are a way for people with disabilities to make a difference in local, state, and national elections, often from their homes.
To view the GOTV Guide and other useful election-related materials, go to ncil.org/votingrights. If you have any questions about this guide, please email NCIL Disability Vote Organizer Sarah Blahovec at sarah@ncil.org.
State Resources
Pennsylvania
Voter Registration Online or By Mail (Disability Voting Coalition of Pennsylvania)
Iowa
ID Action (Iowa DD Council)
Wisconsin
Connecticut
South Carolina
Registration (South Carolina DD Council)
Ways to Vote (South Carolina DD Council)
Accessibility Issues (South Carolina DD Council)