Arizona Resources for Voters with Disabilities

In  Arizona, you have the right to the following as protected by federal law. Election staff must be trained on and respect these rights:

• Accessible voter registration
• Accessible polling places
• Policies and procedures that do not discriminate against you based on your disability
• Accessible, available, and operational voting systems, features
• Your service animal to accompany you inside the polling place
• The right to vote privately and independently or with assistance, if needed
• Assistance from a person of your choice, who can be a friend, family member, or poll worker (but not your boss, union agent, or a candidate unless this person is your family member)
   

Federal law requires assistance in registering to vote from offices that provide public assistance or state-funded programs serving people with disabilities. Responsibilities of these offices include:

• Providing voter registration forms
• Assisting voters in completing the forms
• Transmitting completed forms to the appropriate election official

All aspects of voter registration must be accessible 

• You have the right to receive assistance if you cannot sign or fully complete election materials including:
  • your voter registration form
  • your early voting ballot
  • your early voting ballot affidavit
     
• You may request assistance from two poll workers of different political parties, or receive assistance from a person of your choice, with the following exceptions:  
  • your employer, an agent of your employer
  • an officer or agent of your union
     
• A poll worker cannot force you to accept assistance.

Some Arizona counties offer voting from home, a residential setting or a medical facility through a Special Elections Board. 

• Individuals from two different political parties will come to you to assist you in casting your vote. 

  Contact your County Elections Office for information, eligibility and availability on voting from home through a Special Elections Board.

If you require a ballot in a different style, such as large print, braille, or in a different language, please contact your local election official.  You can request for these ballots to be automatically sent to you for future elections.

Federal law requires polling places to meet minimum compliance standards for individuals with disabilities

• The Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act of 1984 (VAEHA) requires accessible polling places in federal elections for elderly individuals and people with disabilities. Where no accessible location is available to serve as a polling place, voters must be provided an alternate means of voting in person on Election Day.
   
• The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) requires at least one accessible voting system for persons with disabilities at each polling place in federal elections.  The accessible voting system must provide the same opportunity for access and participation, including privacy and independence, that other voters receive. 

If you want to check that your polling location meets these standards or find an alternative polling location, contact your local election official.

If you are unable to stand in line, you can:

• Request to be moved to the front of the line or refuse to be moved to the front of the line
• Request that a chair be provided or refuse to accept a chair
• Request to have your place in line held and notified when it is your turn

In Arizona:

• Only facilities that are accessible as laid out in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) are used as polling places
• Options such as curbside voting, pen cushions and additional lighting may be available
• All voting locations are furnished with accessible voting equipment, magnifying instruments and accessible voting booths
• Bi-partisan assistance teams are available to help voters
• Temporary modifications can be made to assist voters 

Visit the County Elections Department page to view options for large print ballots, different language ballots, or other options at your polling place. 

Arizona’s 15 counties offer assistance and machinery to aid voters with disabilities. Below is a list of the current accessible voting device available in each county. 

Apache - ExpressVote
Cochise - ExpressVote
Coconino - ExpressVote
Gila - ExpressVote
Graham - ExpressVote
Greenlee - ExpressVote
La Paz - ExpressVote
Maricopa -ExpressVote
Mohave - ExpressVote
Navajo - ExpressVote
Pima - ExpressVote
Pinal - AutoMARK
Santa Cruz -ExpressVote
Yavapai - OVI-VC
Yuma - ExpressVote

More information about accessible voting can be found on Arizona’s Voting Equipment Page, including Elections Division Response to COVID-19, the Equipment Certification Advisory Committee, State and County Certified Voting Equipment, Vote Count Verification Committee, and a PDF file list of the accessible voting device being used in each county.

The Arizona Center for Disability Law (ACDL) is a non-profit law firm that protects the rights of individuals with any disabilities. More specific to voters, the firm extends protection and advocacy for voting access.

• On election days, the ACDL has an Election Day or HAVA Hotline in order to address any election issues concerning accessibility and may file necessary complaints.
   
• The hotline telephone number is 602-274-6287 or 1-800-927-2260 and is open from 6am to 7pm on election days. 

You can also access the Arizona Election Administrative Complaint Form and type or print all information on the form. You may also indicate if you wish the Office of Administrative Hearings to conduct a hearing on the record. The form must be notarized and returned within sixty days from the date of the alleged violation. Completed forms should be mailed to:

                  Election Services Division
                  1700 W. Washington, 7th Fl.
                  Phoenix, Arizona 85007

You can also fill out a Violation of Civil Rights Complaint Form and submit it to the US Department of Justice by one of the following methods:

• Online, through the form’s submission process - this is the fastest method.
• By fax at (202) 616-9881. You MUST include “ATTN: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Complaints" at the top of your fax submission for it to be processed correctly.
• By mailing your form to: 

                 U.S. Department of Justice
                 Office of the Inspector General Investigations Division
                 ATTN: Civil Rights & Civil Liberties Complaints
                 950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
                 Washington, DC 20530

For additional assistance, The National Network of ADA Centers can provide local contact information for other organizations you may wish to contact, including your Regional ADA Center or ADA Knowledge Translation Center, or Federal Agencies and Resources.

Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Arizona Center for Disability Law 

Sun Sounds of Arizona
Sun Sounds provides audio access to information to people who cannot read print. For additional information, you can call Sun Sounds at 480-774-8300.

Voter Education Guide
An audio version of the Voter Education Guide for both the primary and general elections. These guides are also available in large print and alternate languages upon request by calling 602-364-3477.
 

• Verified Voter Accessible Voting Machine Search
• Department of Justice Civil Rights Violation Complaint Form
• Arizona Elections Administrative Complaint Form