The 2024 General Election is coming up on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. High voter participation in elections is as Minnesotan as hotdish, with nearly 80% of our state’s voting-eligible population casting a ballot during the 2020 General Election, the highest amongst all states in the country. Even with high voter turnout statewide, there are still barriers that can make it difficult for many people to vote, including people with disabilities.
Access to information, long lines at polling places on Election Day, and unreliable or lack of transportation options are all barriers that may prevent a person with a disability from voting. Not every person with a disability reports difficulties voting, but a survey commissioned by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) found that one in seven voters with disabilities experienced difficulties voting in the 2022 midterm elections.
Voting should be barrier-free so that you can make your voice heard. Below are five tips to help you have an accessible and independent voting experience.
1: Registering to vote
To vote in this election, you’ll need to be registered to vote. The Minnesota Secretary of State’s website makes it easy to confirm if you are already registered. To check your voter registration status, click here.
You’ll need to provide your name, date of birth, and street address. If you’re registered, the next screen will tell you where your voting location is.
If you need to register to vote, there a few ways you can do so:
- Register online on the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website by clicking here.
- Print, fill out, and mail in or drop off a registration form to your county election office or to the Minnesota Secretary of State. The form can be found by clicking here.
- Register in-person at your voting location during early voting or on Election Day. Remember to bring a proof of residence with you. Options for providing this information are listed here.
Deadlines for registering to vote in Minnesota:
- Online: by 11:59 p.m. on October 15
- By mail: by 5 p.m. on October 15
- In-person during early voting: September 20 – November 4
- In-person on Election Day: November 5 when polls close
2: Ways to vote outside of physical polling place: mail-in and curbside voting
In Minnesota, you can vote in-person on Election Day or during early voting between September 20 and November 4. Polling places are required by state and federal laws to be physically accessible, but this doesn’t address other potential barriers to voting, like access to reliable transportation or being able to stand in long lines.
If you want to vote, but aren’t able to do so in-person, there are other options available to you:
Vote early by mail
You can request an absentee ballot be mailed to you in Minnesota. If you are not yet registered to vote, a registration application will be included in the materials mailed to you.
After receiving the absentee ballot, read the directions carefully as there will be forms for you to complete in order for your ballot to be counted. You will also need a witness when you vote and fill out your ballot. The witness needs to be either a registered Minnesota voter or a notary.
To request a ballot, click here. It is recommended that you request your absentee ballot and mail it in as early as possible to ensure that it is received on or before Election Day. Ballots received after Election Day will not count.
Request an accessible ballot
Voters with print disabilities can request an accessible absentee ballot. Print disabilities interfere an individual’s reading, writing, or use of printed materials. People who are blind or visually impaired, those with learning disabilities, and anyone who has a physical disability that makes it difficult to hold or manipulate paper or a pen or pencil are eligible to receive an accessible ballot.
To get an accessible absentee ballot, submit a request for an absentee ballot by clicking here.
You will then need to contact your county election office to specific that you want an accessible ballot mailed to you. To get in touch with your county election office, click here.
Curbside voting
If you have difficulty getting out of your vehicle, you can request to have a ballot brought to you at your polling place. Two election judges from different political parties will bring a ballot out to you. When you’re done voting, the election judges will take your ballot inside to be counted..
3: Getting assistance from others
If you plan to vote in-person and want assistance, you have the option to bring someone with you or to ask for help from an election judge on site. The only people that cannot assist you are your employer or your union.
The person assisting you can help you during every part of the voting process, from signing in to filling out your ballot. The assistant cannot sway how you vote or fill out the ballot if you are not able to communicate who you want to vote for.
4: Know your rights
Voting under guardianship
If you are a person with a disability under guardianship, you have the right to vote unless a judge has specifically ordered to remove that right.
Signing in orally
When you arrive in-person to vote, you are required to confirm your identity. An election judge may ask that you write your signature to sign in. You have the right to say that you’d like to sign in orally. You can also request an assistant to sign in for you if you are not able to sign your name.
5: Accessible voting machines
If you vote in-person and are not able to mark your ballot with a pen, there are accessible voting machines available for you to use. These machines still maintain your privacy while voting and have a few options to make voting more accessible to you:
- It can read the ballot to you through headphones
- There is a screen that shows you the ballot in large print or with a high-contrast background
- You can mark your ballot using a Braille keypad, touchscreen, or a sip-and-puff device
Other resources
If you have questions about voting, we are happy to answer your questions or point you in the right direction to get the answers you need. Please contact our Disability Initiatives Specialist, Connor Zielinski, at czielinski@lifeworks.org or 612-398-1967 (call or text).
Everyone who wants to vote should be able to vote. If you’re looking for more resources for voters with disabilities, here are some useful links:
Info on Ballot Marking Machines
Minnesota Council on Disability Voter Resources
The Arc of Minnesota Voter Empowerment Toolkit
American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) State Voting Guide for Minnesota