Celebrate Disability Voting Rights Week

The City Clerk’s Office is celebrating Disability Voting Rights Week by highlighting accessible options for exercising your right to vote.

“It’s important for all residents to feel confident that their voices are heard at the polls,” said Mayor Rhodes-Conway. “Our Clerk’s staff and volunteers work diligently with voters with disabilities to make casting their ballot as easy as possible.”

Absentee Voting
If you are indefinitely confined to their home due to age or disability, you may request absentee ballots for all future elections. Certifying that you are indefinitely confined makes you exempt from sending a copy of your ID to the Clerk’s Office. Requests may be submitted at https://MyVote.wi.gov, via e-mail to Voting@cityofmadison.com, or as a note sent to the Clerk’s Office.

If you have a visual impairment, you may ask the Clerk’s Office to have your ballot printed in Braille. This can be included in an e-mail or written absentee request.

If you need help returning your absentee because of a disability, you may choose someone to help return your ballot. The person assisting you cannot be your employer or labor union representative. They can take your absentee to a mail box, drop box, in-person absentee voting site during voting hours, or your polling place on Election Day.

At the Polls
All polling places must be accessible. Poll workers use an accessibility checklist to identify and address barriers on election morning. The City of Madison process for opening the polls includes a poll worker review of accessibility procedures.

Curbside Voting
You may vote curbside if unable to enter the polls due to health, mobility issues, or a disability. Have someone tell poll workers that you are a curbside voter or call the Clerk’s Office at (608) 266-4601.

Two poll workers will bring your ballot, marking pen, and secrecy sleeve to you at the curb. After you mark your ballot, poll workers will bring the ballot back into the polling place. They will insert your ballot into the tabulator to be counted.

Poll Book Accessibility
If you are unable to state your name and address, you may choose someone to do so on your behalf.

If you are unable to sign the poll book due to a disability, let the poll workers know. You will be exempt from this requirement.

Every polling place has magnifying sheets and signature guides available. Extra seating is available if needed.

Help Marking Your Ballot
Every polling place has an ExpressVote ballot marking device. This marks your ballot with selections you make on a touchscreen or Braille keypad. The ExpressVote offers large print and high contrast. It has headphones. It is compatible with sip & puff devices. You double-check your selections before your ballot prints. You may also feed the printed ballot card back into the ExpresVote, and the machine will tell you how that ballot card is marked. The same tabulator that counts ballots marked by pen also counts ExpressVote ballots.

If you have a visual impairment, you may contact the Clerk’s Office before Election Day to request that a Braille ballot be available at your polling place.

You may choose someone to help you mark your ballot. They cannot be your employer or labor union representative. The person assisting you does not need to be eligible to vote. Poll workers will document the name and address of your assistant. Your assistant also needs to sign the ballot.

Do not hesitate to ask poll workers for help.

The goal of the City Clerk’s Office is that each eligible voter will be able to cast a ballot and have that ballot counted.