Kentucky Resources for Voters with Disabilities

In Kentucky, you have the right to the following as protected by federal law. Election staff must 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 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)
• Election Staff trained to understand the rights above.

In Kentucky, you also have the right to:  

• Independently mark and cast your ballot without interference, coercion, or intimidation. 
• Vote in privacy and cast a secret ballot.
• Receive assistance when voting.
• Review a sample ballot before voting. 
• Vote by absentee ballot if you have a disability that prevents you from voting in person on Election Day.
• File a complaint about voting accessibility or other violation.

Federal law requires assistance in registering to vote from offices that provide public assistance or state-funded programs serving people with disabilities. Responsibilities of this office 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 may request assistance from a poll worker 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 candidate on the ballot
     
• A poll worker cannot force you to accept assistance.

If you need an alternative ballot, please contact your local town clerk.

Federal law requires polling places to meet minimum compliance standards for individuals with special needs.  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 
• 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

Curbside voting is available if you are temporarily incapacitated. 

• After showing a valid form of ID, Registrars of Voters from both parties will bring you a ballot and a privacy sleeve. 
• You must mark the ballot in front of them, but they must stand in a way that will not violate your right to a private vote.

An accessible ballot marking device is available at all polling places. This can be used to make choices audibly or by a touchscreen display. It allows for alternatives, such as:

• Audio 
• Tactile keys
• Customizable displays

For assistance or more information on accessible voting equipment, please contact your local election office.

If your voting rights have been violated, please contact:

• Your Precinct Election Officer
• Your County Clerk/Board of Elections 
• The Kentucky State Board of Elections at (502) 573-7100 
• The Attorney General’s Election Fraud Hotline at (800) 328-8683

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.

• Voter Registration or Absentee Ballot Request
• Election Dates/Deadlines
• Election Official Directory
• US Vote Foundation's Voter Help Desk
• Department of Justice Civil Rights Violation Complaint Form
• Verified Voter Accessible Voting Machine Search