Able to Vote

Founded in 2020 after its founders witnessed continued low turnout and representation by those with disabilities in elections, Able to Vote is dedicated to helping persons with disabilities cast their ballot in every election.

Challenges to voting for persons with disabilities abound, from poor interactions with undertrained poll workers, to accessible voting machines being unavailable on Election Day, to long lines and other untenable conditions as persons wait to enter to a polling location. COVID-19 will likely leave many more Americans with chronic ailments, which will make these issues applicable to even more of us. Many accessibility efforts can help voting be easier for everyone, regardless of disability.

There are an estimated 38.3 million eligible voters with disabilities in the United States, and only about 14.3 million of us voted in the 2018 Midterm Elections. Minnesota, one of the states where ATV programming will start ahead of the 2022 elections, saw the largest turnout gap between eligible voters with disabilities and those without in 2018-a stark 19.5% difference. (Schur & Kruse)

Turnout among registered voters with disabilities must increase in order for this demographic to have adequate representation, and to prevent further erosion of the rights and protections of Americans with disabilities.