Posts filed under Voting

ACTION ALERT: Is Your Ballot Drop Box Inaccessible? Let Us Know!

Although the election is November 3rd, many Jerseyans have already cast their ballot using the mail-in drop box that have been set up throughout the state.

However, we have received complaints from voters with disabilities who say that some of these boxes were placed in inaccessible locations or positioned in a way that makes it difficult for someone using a wheelchair to use.

Some mail-in ballot drop boxes, for example, have been placed in locations that are not accessible by curve cut, or on sidewalks that leave little room to maneuver a wheelchair.

If your mail-in ballot drop box is located in an inaccessible spot, ACI and REV UP NJ would like to know! Contact Luke at lkoppisch@adacil.org. We are gathering this information in order to advocate on this issue with the NJ Division of Elections. Also, please contact your county's Board of Elections and let them know the situation. Click here to find your Board of Elections.

If you have questions, please contact Luke at lkoppisch@adacil.org.

Posted on October 16, 2020 by Brian Mazzarella and filed under Voting, Advocacy.

Running for Public Office When You Have a Disability: Practical Advice

There’s nothing easy about running for public office. Among many other things, it requires significant personal sacrifice, the know-how and skills to connect with voters, and an unwavering commitment to public service. Not only does it take a toll on you physically, mentally, and emotionally, but it can for those closest to you as well.

And when you have a disability, chances are you will face additional challenges during your campaign. Nonetheless, that shouldn’t stop you from following your dream, and you can actually use your knack for overcoming obstacles and achieving your goals to your advantage.

So, if you’ve decided to make a run for the school board, city council, congress, or any other public office, here are a few pieces of advice to consider:

Insights into the Experience of U.S. Voters with Disabilities: National Poll

The following is a press release from Southpaw Insights and Smartmatic.

NEW NATIONAL POLL: Voters with Disabilities Face Multiple Voting Challenges
Improvements in Privacy, Independence and Election Technology Are Top Priorities

BOCA RATON, FL – More than half of voters with disabilities have experienced challenges casting their votes in person, according to a new national poll prepared for Smartmatic by Southpaw Insights. Of those experiencing challenges, voting machines were cited as problematic by 28 percent, and of those, 45 percent say that problems with voting machines have kept them home on Election Day.

“We found that voters with disabilities place tremendous value on being able to vote independently, privately and in the same way as everyone else,” said Jessica Broome, Ph.D., Southpaw Insights founder and CEO. “Improvements in the accessibility and usability of voting machines would provide a real opportunity to make the election experience better for voters with physical and cognitive disabilities.”

Voters with disabilities make up a significant voting block. Roughly one in six eligible voters in America has a disability. According to recent research from Rutgers University, turnout for voters with disabilities in the 2018 mid-terms was approximately 14.3 million people, surpassing the number of Hispanic/Latino voters (11.7 million) and nearing African-American turnout (15.2 million).

National Disability Voter Registration Week 2019

ACI and REV UP NJ hosted its 4th annual National Disability Voter Registration Week event at the NJ State House Annex in Trenton. Everyone braved the hot weather to hear advocates, civil rights activists, and representatives from disability organizations talk about the importance of voting and how the disability vote has grown in influence. Featured speakers included Dr. Doug Kruse, of the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations, who talked about the growing influence of the disability vote, and Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling of Monmonth County, who encouraged every to get involved to make a difference.

Posted on July 17, 2019 by Brian Mazzarella and filed under Voting.

ACI and Other Organizations Visit Congressman Pallone's Office to Support the Disability Integration Act (UPDATE)

On April 26th, ACI, NJ ADAPT, Atlantic County Center for Independent Living, SILC, NJ YELL and other disability organizations visited Congressman Pallone office in New Brunswick to hold him to his promise of co-sponsoring the Disability Integration Act. A meeting with the Congressman and our group is set for May 6th.

(UPDATE: 5/6/19): Advocates from several disability organizations in NJ met with Congressman Pallone at his district office in Long Branch on May 6th. The topic was the Disability Integration Act. Stay tuned...

Posted on April 30, 2019 by Brian Mazzarella and filed under Advocacy, Voting.

Support the Disability Integration Act!

The Disability Integration Act (DIA) was recently reintroduced in the US House of Representatives and US Senate. DIA is a bipartisan, bicameral legislation that ensures that disabled Americans have the right to live and receive services in their own homes. ACI joined other advocacy organizations throughout the country in celebrating the reintroduction of this important legislation. ACI has been contacting our representatives to urge them co-sponsor this legislation. Advocates hope to have it passed the house by July 26, 2019, the anniversary of the ADA. We are happy to announce that US Senator Cory Booker and NJ Representatives Donald Payne and Bonnie Watson-Coleman have signed on as co-sponsors!

If you're interested in learning more about DIA and how you can advocate for its passage, please contact Luke at lkoppisch@adacil.org or Maggie at mleppert@adacil.org or visit disabilityintegrationact.org.

Posted on January 25, 2019 by Brian Mazzarella and filed under Advocacy, Voting.

Do Our Votes Really Count? Re-Thinking the Political Participation of the Disability Movement

Written by Ethan B. Ellis.

I just completed an online survey asking my priorities for the newly elected majority in the House of Representatives. It was pretty long.

I could have checked off women’s rights and I did.

I could have checked off LGBQ rights and I did.

I could have checked off voting rights and I did.

I could have been for health care for all, campaign finance reform, a living wage, gun control, rebuilding our infrastructure, reducing income inequality, ending war and a whole lot more and I was - and am.

But there was no place check off disability rights on that agenda.

I also got hundreds of fundraising emails before the election. They all wanted my money and many used surveys to get it. I could be for everything good and against everything bad, but I COULDN’T BE FOR DISABILITY RIGHTS, MY OWN RIGHTS!