Athlete Alex Venne and his mom Mary Jo show off their stickers
With Election Day coming up on Tuesday, November 6th, we’re in the midst of many Get Out The Vote campaigns. Despite these campaigns to get people to the polls, people with disabilities are still considerably underrepresented in the voting population.
The current situation
In the 2016 election, the voter turnout rate of people with disabilities was 6 percentage points lower than that of people without disabilities. If people with disabilities voted at the same rate as people without disabilities in 2012 there would have been an additional 3 million votes cast. Voting is one of the most important things that you can do to advocate for yourself, your family and your community. Elected officials make many decisions that impact the lives of people with disabilities, including decisions that impact Special Olympics Wisconsin. Your voice and your vote are needed!
You can check your voter registration status, find your polling place location, see a sample of your ballot, and learn more about photo ID and voter registration requirements in Wisconsin by going to myvote.wi.gov.
Wisconsin Disability Coalition
Special Olympics Wisconsin is a member of the Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition, a non-partisan joint effort funded by Disability Rights Wisconsin and the Board for People with Developmental Disabilities intended to increase voting turnout among members of Wisconsin’s disability community. They have produced some great resources for people with disabilities and those who care for them. Their website answers questions people often have about voting in Wisconsin, including resources to find transportation to the polls, information about guardianship and the right to vote. They also provide a list of accommodations available at polling places. They even have super helpful videos that address many of these same questions, as well as .
If you have any questions regarding voting in Wisconsin, you can contact Lisa Hassenstab, Director of Volunteer and Government Relations, at 608-442-5671 or lhassenstab@specialolympicswisconsin.org. Make your plan now to get to the polls on Election Day, and don’t forget to share your “I Voted” photos with us on social media after you’ve voted!
