We work to eliminate barriers to voting, increase knowledge of voting rights, and educate potential policy makers about the needs of people with disabilities.
- All polling places should be fully accessible to people with disabilities; they often are not
- We often do not have full information about upcoming elections and voting rights
- People with disabilities have specific rights related to voting which are sometimes ignored by voting officials
The following is important information for the March 23rd Presidential Preference Primary Election:
- The deadline to register to vote in person, by mail or at the OMV Office is February 21.
- The deadline to register to vote through the GeauxVote Online Registration System is March 2.
- Early voting is March 9 through March 16, (excluding Sunday, March 10) from 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
- The deadline to request an absentee ballot is March 19 by 4:30 p.m (other than military and overseas voters). You can request an absentee ballot online through our Voter Portal or in writing through your Registrar of Voters Office.
- The deadline for a registrar of voters to receive a voted absentee ballot is March 22 by 4:30 p.m. (other than military and overseas voters).
- On election day, Saturday March 23, the polls are open from 7 a.m.-8 p.m.
Click here for information about the Secretary of State’s Voter Programs for People with Disabilities, Senior Citizens, & Nursing Home Residents
Here are some helpful links from the Secretary of State’s voterportal, which you can fully access through Geauxvote.com:
Polling Place locations: Your polling place location may have changed. To check your polling place location, visit the Louisiana Voter Portal at Geauxvote.com, or call your Parish Registrar of Voters’ office.
For locations of ballot drop boxes, please call your Parish Registrar of Voters’ office.
Voting on Election Day – features accommodations for people with disabilities
Vote 2021: Information to Prepare You to Vote
In this interactive training, Dr. Ashley Volion discusses important dates for the next election, why voting is important, and the accommodations that are available throughout the voting process.
Voting Accessibility
DRLA’s Director of Policy and Community Engagement, Tory Rocca, was included on the panel for this presentation on Voting Accessibility as part of the Governor’s Office on Disability Affairs (GODA) Virtual Conference that took place from July 26th-29th, 2021. The theme was “Moving Forward, The Journey Ahead” and featured 20 sessions including the topics of: education, employment, self-determination, healthcare, emergency preparedness, youth advocacy and more.
To watch the full conference, please visit the Youtube channel for the Governor’s Office of Community Programs at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNcGodSlBUhLcOmotMk7OEw/featured
In September of 2022, Policy Analyst, Dr. Ashley Volion, gave a presentation for voters entitled, “Know Your Rights.” This presentation includes information about your rights to a safe, private, and accessible polling place. There are also helpful links and resources for finding other accessibility related information. You can read a .pdf copy of this publication by clicking the image below:
If you would like a printed copy or customized accessible copy, please contact Kevin Hurstell: khurstell@disabilityrightsla.org
Accommodations for Voters With Disabilities: Disability Program
From the Louisiana Secretary of State – Programs for People with Disabilities, Senior Citizens, and Nursing Home residents:
Voters with disabilities may apply for the program by submitting a Disabled Application for Absentee by Mail Ballot. You have the option of choosing whether to receive an absentee by mail ballot only for one election or for all future elections.
The Registrar of Voters must receive this application by 4:30 p.m. on the fourth day before Election Day.
First-time enrollees must also send proof of disability to the parish registrar of voters to join the program. Proof of disability may include one of the following:
- A copy of your current mobility impairment identification card bearing your photograph and the international symbol of accessibility issued by the secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections
- Current proof of disability from a physician
- A copy of current documentation (letter or card) showing eligibility for one of the following:
1. Social security disability benefits;
2. Veteran’s disability benefits;
3. Paratransit services;
4. Benefits from the Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities; or
5. Benefits from Louisiana Rehabilitation Services.
If proof of disability is submitted to the registrar of voters by mail, it must also include a copy of your Louisiana driver’s license or special ID card, or other generally recognized picture ID that contains your name and signature. If you are a new registrant and voting for the first time, you must submit a doctor’s letter certifying that you are not able to appear in person to vote. If you do not do this, you must vote in person one time before you can enroll in the Program.
Voters with disabilities may request to receive their ballots electronically (by email); however, they may not return the ballot by email.
******If you have a visible physical disability or possess a current mobility impairment identification card, you will be allowed to go to the front of the line to vote when you vote in person during early voting or on election day.
Voting Privately and Independently
We know that it is important that you are able to vote privately and independently and that your vote is confidential. No one should direct you how to vote. You do not have to answer questions or prove that you are capable of voting, either mentally or physically. If you are entitled to receive assistance in voting, you may choose anyone to assist you, including a family member, friend, registrar, deputy registrar, or poll commissioner. If you are voting absentee by mail, the person who assists you must sign the absentee by mail ballot envelope.
If you are voting in person, the person assisting you must sign the early voting register (during early voting) or the precinct register (on election day.)
If you require assistance in voting at the polls on election day or during early voting, you can provide one of the following documents to the registrar of voters before election day:
• Doctor’s certificate;
• Current mobility impairment ID card;
• Documentation of government disability benefits; or a
• Completed and signed voter registration application attesting that the voter has a disability and needs assistance. After you provide the required documentation, you will be marked in the early voting register and the precinct register as requiring assistance.
If you are not already marked in the early voting register or precinct register as requiring assistance, you may still receive assistance during early voting or on election day after completing a Voter Assistance Form. You cannot be assisted by any of the following:
• A commissioner-in-charge at the polling place;
• An employer or his agent;
• A union official;
• A candidate on the current ballot to be voted on; or
• A staff member from a state-owned developmental center
Accommodations to Assist You in Voting In-Person
If you want to vote in person during early voting or on election day, there are many accommodations available to all voters:
A. Adjusting the voting machine if you use a wheelchair or prefer to sit while voting;
B. Voting machines are audio accessible and anyone may use the audio voting keypad to vote. You should inform the registrar or poll commissioner before you begin voting that you want to use the audio voting keypad;
C. You may bring personal headphones to use with the audio voting keypad;
D. You may request a 2X magnifier to use in voting. The magnifier is available in every polling place and during early voting at the Registrar of Voters Office. The early voting machines also allow you to adjust the screen text size.
E. You may bring your own flashlight if you need additional lighting in the voting machine;
F. You may bring your own signature tool to assist you in signing your name; and
G. You may use the Braille Voting Instructions available at each Registrar of Voters’ Office and in each polling place.
State law allows voters three minutes to vote; however, if you need assistance in voting or you will be using the audio voting keypad, you will have 20 minutes to vote.
View the Voting in Louisiana Booklet for more election information, like using the GeauxVote Mobile app to view and mark your sample ballot on your electronic device so that you may prepare before voting!
Accessible Polling Places
Louisiana requires that all polling places be accessible in the following manner:
A. The doors should be wide enough for a wheelchair;
B. There should be ramps or elevators if there are steps; and
C. There must be reserved accessible parking and all walkways must be accessible and free of obstacles.
If your polling place is not accessible, please notify a commissioner at the polling place or call your parish Clerk of Court’s Office so that they can correct the accessibility problem immediately on election day.
You may also contact the Secretary of State’s Office toll-free at 800.883.2805.
Important Things to Remember
Here things as a voter you should keep in mind:
1. If you are a person with a disability, you have the right to vote, unless a court has issued a judgement declaring that you cannot vote;
2. Voting is your decision;
3. No one can tell you how to vote;
4. Your vote is private. You do not have to tell anyone how you voted;
5. The polling place must be accessible to you; and
6. You may ask for help in understanding how to register to vote or how to operate a voting machine.
AVC Advantage Voting System for Election Day Voting
As of the Fall of 2006, all of Louisiana’s voters began using the AVC Advantage voting systems for election day voting. On this direct recording electronic voting system, the entire ballot for the voter will appear on the screen.
Over a period of 15 years, the state began procuring these voting systems for 12 parishes in Louisiana. Since 2005, federal funds which were awarded through the Help America Vote Act of 2002 were used to procure voting systems for the remainder of the state.
The voting systems are smaller, lighter, and easier to operate than the old lever-operated machines. They receive rave reviews from the poll workers throughout the state. The ballot is easy to read, since the type is larger. The AVC Advantage voting systems are wheelchair accessible and every voting machine is capable of using an audio voting keypad, available for voters with disabilities. The election results are easily printed and stored on a cartridge which is delivered to the clerk of court after the polls are closed for tabulation.
View a demonstration of the AVC Advantage voting system.
AVC Audio Voting Keypad
As of the Fall of 2006, all of Louisiana’s voters have had access to using the AVC Audio Voting Keypad on either the AVC Advantage voting system or the AVC Edge voting system. The AVC Audio Voting Keypad will make both of these voting systems accessible.
There are no requirements for a voter to use the AVC Audio Voting Keypad.
Helpful Voting Resources for People With Disabilities
Autistic Self Advocacy Network: “Your Vote Counts: A Self-Advocate’s Guide to Voting in the US” – a highly accessible/Easy Read plain language toolkit for readers who need more information in pictures, or at a more appropriate reading level.
Signvote.org – a nonpartisan platform for accessible content, featuring videos in ASL, on the #2020election
National Association for the Deaf: ASL Voter Hotline – you can ask questions about the voting process and get answers – in ASL!
National Federation of the Blind: Voting Resources – includes surveys, multimedia presentations, proposed legislative action, and additional information
Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) Voting Resources:
- Guardianship Chart – Voting laws for people with intellectual disabilities and/or guardians are different in each state. Find out the rules about voting where you live.
- Tuesdays with Liz on Voting – videos geared towards viewers with intellectual disabilities, hosted by advocate Liz Weintraub
Onevotenow.org Blog – articles and updates geared towards voters with intellectual and developmental disabilities
Help America Vote Act
The Protection & Advocacy for Voting Access (PAVA) program for Louisiana was created by the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).
HAVA is a federal law passed by Congress in 2002 to improve our country’s election system. HAVA’s main goal is to make the voting process more inclusive and accessible so that more Americans will become registered voters and participate in elections.
The PAVA program seeks to ensure that individuals with disabilities have full participation in the electoral process through voter education regarding registering to vote, casting a vote and accessing the polling sites.
To report accessibility issues with voting, please call:
HAVA – Help America Vote Act
225.287.7477
800.883.2805
225.922.1180 fax
Publications
People With Disabilities have the Right to Vote
Election Day Hotline for Voters with Disabilities: 7/11/20
Important Dates to Remember, Registering through GeauxVote.Com for Election Day 2020
