Ohio Resources for Voters with Disabilities

Federal laws provide protections for your right to vote, including:

• Voter Registration is accessible to you.
• Polling places are accessible to you.
• Policies and procedures may not discriminate against you based on your disability.
• Accessible voting systems, features, and effective communication are available to you and must be operational.
• Your service animal must be allowed to accompany you inside the polling place.
• You are allowed assistance from a person of your choice.

Election Staff must be trained to understand your rights above. They should know:

• the specific auxiliary aids and services that are available
• that service animals must be allowed to accompany voters inside the polling place
• that accessibility features at the polling place need to be operational
• that people with disabilities are allowed assistance from a person of your choice;
• that other modifications may be needed to accommodate voters with disabilities

In Ohio, you also have the right to:

• A private and independent vote
• The right to assistance, if needed and desired
• Voting locations that are free of any barriers to entrances or exits.
• Voting locations that have ramps, wide doors, and accessible parking.

• You have the right to help from the person of your choice, such as a friend or family member. Exceptions include that your assistant to help you vote cannot:
  • be your employer
  • work for your labor union
• Anyone can help you if you cannot sign your voter registration form. They just need to write and sign their name and attest that you would like to register to vote.
• Your helper can assist you with marking and returning your ballot
• A poll worker cannot:
  • force you to accept assistance
  • attempt to persuade you to vote for or against
    • a candidate
    • a ballot question

• If you have a disability that is recognized under the ADA then you can request to use an online accessible ballot
• The online accessible ballot allows you to vote from home using any accessible technology you have with your device that is connected to the internet
• You are allowed to have assistance with this process
• You can request an accessible online ballot by filling out an online form or submitting a written request to your board of elections
  • You need to request to use this type of ballot seven days before the election
  • An election official may contact you for more information once you have submitted your application
• After your request is approved, you will get an email with all the voting materials, including the online ballot.
• To return your ballot, you will need to mail it in the security envelope, which will be emailed and mailed to you the day your request is accepted.
• You can also return it in-person, or a person of your choosing other than your employer or officer in your union can return it in-person to your board of elections.  The person returning the ballot for you must complete an attestation form at the county board elections office.
  • There will be two holes marking the place where voters sign their envelope so that people with print disabilities know where to sign.

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.  

Every polling place in Ohio should have an accessible voting machine for you to use. The voting machine should have features such as an audio ballot, a Braille option, an option for large print/zooming, and the screens should have height and tilt adjustments. When you check in to your polling place, just ask to use the ADA complaint voting machine.

Polling places should have an accessible entrance, exit, and parking spaces.

Curbside voting is available only if you are physically unable to enter your polling place. Curbside voting means they will bring your ballot to your car, and you can vote from there.

You should be able to preview a ballot and practice voting. If you have any questions, you can contact your board of elections.

• To file a formal complaint about voting accessibility, fill out a HAVA violation form and mail it or hand-deliver it to the Office of the Ohio Secretary of State, Elections Division, 180 E. Broad Street, 15th Floor, Columbus, Ohio 43215
  • You must get the form notarized, and the complaint must be signed and sworn.
  • You must include your name, address, phone number and any information relevant to your complaint.
  • You can also name any witnesses or provide any sort of evidence you have for your complaint.
  • If you want to request a hearing, you must do it in writing within 10 days of sending your original complaint.
    • You can request accommodations for the hearing at least 5 days before the hearing.
       
• You can contact the Disability Rights Ohio Voter Hotline at 800-282-9181 on Election Day while polls are open. You can also send them a voice message on any day at any time using this same phone number or submit an intake form on their website.
   
• 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.

• US Vote Foundation's Voter Help Desk
• Department of Justice Civil Rights Violation Complaint Form
• Verified Voter Accessible Voting Machine Search