Barriers to Democracy:

Voter Accessibility in Minnesota

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Global Context of Voting

53.6%58.3% 58.3%

82.7%87.7%

107.8%

0%

50%

100%

Canada Great Britain USA Australia Greece Dem. Rep ofCongo

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Agenda

• Historical Context

• Why did we get involved

• The first survey

• The post-election survey

• Solutions

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Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Article XXI

The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.”

Right to Vote

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Minnesota Constitution

ARTICLE VII Section 1.

Every person 18 years of age or more who has been a citizen of the United States for three months and who has resided in the precinct for 30 days next preceding an election shall be entitled to vote in that precinct.

Right to Vote

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Recent Landmarks

Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act 1984

• Requires polling places to be physically accessible to people with disabilities

Americans with Disabilities Act 1990

• Provided for ballot and poll access for those with disabilities

Help America Vote Act 2002

• Mandates that all polling places have at least one disability-accessible voting device

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Why Voting? Why Courage?

What if you wanted to vote but the polling place was locked?

For many of the 33.7 million Americans with disabilities of voting age, this situation is all too real

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Why Voting? Why Courage?

• Courage Center is committed to advancing the lives of children and adults experiencing barriers to health and independence. 

• Empowering people to advocate for themselves, friends, family and the whole community is essential for moving Minnesota forward.

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Why Voting? Why Courage?

A study by researchers Kay Schriner and Douglas Kruse shows that people with disabilities eligible to vote are 20 percentage points less likely than non-disabled people to do so.

University of Arkansas Study

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Why Voting? Why Courage?

• If people with disabilities voted at the same rate as the non-disabled, 10M more votes would have been cast in the last Presidential election - a major voting bloc.

• Voting is power, and measuring the size of a group's vote can significantly impact that group's political muscle.

Untapped Power of the Disability Vote

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The First Survey Development

• We developed the survey by reviewing the literature and looking at common problems with access.

• We wanted to hit on all types of accessibility – including physical and social access

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The First Survey Data Collection

• We distributed the survey through various organizations, particularly utilizing the reach of the Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities

• They were distributed in hard copy and by email

• We received 144 surveys

Conducted in March of 2008

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First Survey Outcomes

• 97% of the respondents voted in Minnesota

• 90% voted at the polling place, 10% absentee

• 65% of the respondents knew that accessible voting machines were available, but only 44% used them

• 64% of respondents knew that they could use an absentee ballot, and 54% said they knew they could request to always get an absentee ballot.

By the numbers

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First Survey Outcomes

• 26% of respondents reported that transportation or parking were barriers to the polls

• While the individual responses for physical barriers were not high, 24% of respondents reported at least one physical barrier to the polls

• Heavy doors, signage, curb cuts, steps, narrow or obstructed paths, narrow doors, ramps, and revolving doors were the biggest challenges

Physical Barriers to Voting

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First Survey Outcomes

• 20% of respondents reported that providing identification was a barrier to the polls

• 11% of the respondents reported that election judges had presented barriers to voting.

Other Barriers to Voting

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However, we had more questions:

• We didn’t specify which election, so could not say whether these were problems that had existed at one time, or existed currently

• We decided to repeat the survey after the 2008 elections to see what the experiences of were in a Presidential year

• We also wanted more information about where the respondents lived, and more about their health condition

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New Survey

• We received 127 surveys, returned by individuals who were eligible to vote in the 2008 Presidential elections.

• The respondents had a wide range of disabilities, including:

Completed this Summer

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Breakdown of Disabilities

4%

3%

13%

29%

15%

15%

11%

5%

5%

• Neuromuscular diagnoses

• Aquired Brain Injury

• Spinal Cord Injury

• Mobility impairments

• Vision deficits

• Mental Health Diagnosis

• Cognitive deficits

• Developmental Disability

• Other

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Respondents were Statewide

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New Survey

• 55% of the respondents were aware of accessible voting machines

• 31% of the respondents had used the accessible voting machines

• However, 10% reported that election judges being unable to use the accessible voting machines was a barrier to voting

How we vote

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New Survey

• 78% were aware that they could vote by absentee ballot

• Respondents had strong feelings about going to the polls and voting

• Overall distrust of absentee ballots, and whether they would be counted

Absentee Ballots

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Comments on Absentee Ballots

• “They have to count my ballots if I come in person, absentee ballots may not be counted.”

• “It’s traditional for me to vote in person.”

• “Why should I [vote absentee]? I have the right to vote in person and shouldn’t be forced to vote absentee”

Comments Included:

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Comments on Absentee Ballots

• “Because I want to participate in the process” Respondents wanted to be part of the social experience as a member of the community, and specifically to demonstrate that everyone votes.

• Some eligible voters didn’t know that they could vote absentee, or found the absentee process complicated or confusing.

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New Survey

TRANSPORTATION

• 34% identified transportation, parking or drop off problems as barriers to the polls

Barriers Identified by Respondents

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New Survey

PHYSICAL BARRIERS

• 35% identified physical barriers to the polls and to voting.

Barriers Identified by Respondents

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New Survey

• Doors too heavy or difficult to open – 17%• Lack of signage to accessible entrance – 13%• Narrow or obstructed paths, in or outside of

the building – 10% • Steps – 9%• Lack of curb cuts at the voting site – 9%• Doors that are too narrow – 6%• Ramps too steep – 3% • Revolving doors – 2%

Barriers Identified by Respondents

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New Survey

ELECTION JUDGES/STAFF

• 14% of the respondents identified the polling staff as a barrier to voting (increase over last survey)

• Only 37% of the respondents were able to vote without asking for help.

Barriers Identified by Respondents

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New Survey

IDENTIFICATION

• 8% reported that the need for identification was a current barrier to voting

• In one case, the voter lived in a group home, did not have an ID, and didn’t receive bills in the mail so could not use those as ID. The staff at the group home would not accompany the individual to vote.

Barriers Identified by Respondents

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What are the Solutions

• Long lines

• Difficulty getting a picture ID

• Difficulty physically handling the ID

• Difficulty with transportation to get the ID

• Problem with losing the ID

Picture ID

We asked if needing a picture ID would be a barrier to voting. 10% said that it would, and cited the following problems:

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What are the Solutions

Assessment of the environment

1) Is community transportation available throughout the voting day? (not just work hours)

2) Are the judges trained and comfortable with the voting machines?

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Poll Accessibility Checklist

• Are the doors (interior or exterior) too narrow for wheelchairs?

• Is there adequate parking and drop-off space near the polling area?

• Are there curb cuts at the voting sites?

• Are there narrow or obstructed paths inside or outside of the building?

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Poll Accessibility Checklist

• Is the voting location and parking and drop off areas clearly marked?

• Are there steps between parking and the voting location?

• If there is a ramp, is it of appropriate grade?

• Are there heavy doors that must be opened?

• Are there revolving doors?

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Community Solutions

• Pilot project in the Seven County Metro

• Multiple partners including MN Council of Non-Profits, Merrick Inc. and Target

• Driver recruitment entirely voluntary- 50+ volunteers in total

• Multiple ride options on Election Day including 6 fully accessible minivans

• A total of 242 rides given on Nov 4th

Rides to the Polls

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Community Solutions

Selected Stories and Quotes:

‘Thank you for you service today. I had a stroke and this way the only way I could vote.’

‘Accessible Service + Curbside voting + Respectful Help = One More Voice! A stronger Democracy’

‘Ming, originally from Shanghai, China and a new citizen. Due to his physical disability he was unable to get to his polling place independently. He called for a ride and was picked up by a volunteer driver at his senior citizen high rise and was excited to vote for the first time.’

Rides to the Polls

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Innovative Solutions

• The Australian Electoral Commission has mobile polling teams that take portable polling places to many eligible voters who are not able to get to a polling place.

• Mobile polling is carried out around Australia during the 12 days before election day and on election day.

Mobile Polling Teams

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Innovative Solutions

• Mobile polling teams visited hospitals and nursing homes to enable patients and residents to cast their vote.

• In 2004 2,107 hospitals and nursing homes around Australia were visited by a total of 445 mobile polling teams in the days leading up to and including election day.

Mobile Polling Teams

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Innovative Solutions

• The AEC used road, air and sea transport to visit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and their outstations, pastoral properties, small towns, tourist resorts and mine sites

• 43 mobile polling teams visited 382 remote locations in the Northern Territory, Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland

Mobile Polling Teams

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Summary

• Access to the polls is still a major issue for individuals with disabilities

• Action at the community and state level needs to take place

• An examination of the organizational set up of elections needs to occur

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Thank You

Courage Center

www.couragecenter.org

Nancy Flinn & Christian Knights