This election cycle over 140 million Americans made it known who they wanted to represent them at all levels of government. But there likely were people with disabilities who didn’t cast their ballot or faced barriers accessing the polls. For the 2020 election, Rutgers and the US Election Assistance Commission estimated that there would be 1.75 million more voters if quote “people with disabilities voted at the same rate as people without disabilities who have the same demographic characteristics.” This week on the Disabilities Beat, we highlight some of the voting access issues that disabled voters in Buffalo say still persisted in 2024.
TRANSCRIPT
This is a rush transcript provided by a contractor and may be updated over time to be more accurate.
Emyle Watkins: Hi, I am Emyle Watkins, and this is the WBFO Disabilities Beat. This election cycle, over 140 million Americans made it known who they wanted to represent them at all levels of government, but there were likely people with disabilities who didn't cast their ballot or faced barriers accessing the polls. For the 2020 election, Rutgers and the US Election Assistance Commission estimated that there would be 1.75 million more voters if, "people with disabilities voted at the same rate as people without disabilities who have the same demographic characteristics."
Amy Dake: Well, I couldn't go for early voting because the early voting was not accessible for me. The early voting would've involved taking additional 400 steps that I'm not capable of taking, whereas my standard polling place was accessible for me.
Emyle Watkins: Amy Dake was out at the polls in the University District on election day with her partner who also has a disability. At the voting site, Dake and her partner used the AutoMARK machine, an accessible ballot marking device.
Amy Dake: Well, I'm really glad that the voting places have the AutoMARK machine, which is what I use to vote, because I have a tremor in my hand from time to time, and it doesn't allow for me to fill in the little bubbles, so the machine allows for me to use that instead. It's also visually accessible to me because I can have it enlarged.
Emyle Watkins: But for many people with disabilities, there are barriers that exist in accessing the polls that go beyond what is controlled by a Board of Elections. Transportation and physical infrastructure, for instance, among many other things controlled by the people we elect also impacts who can have a voice in who is elected.
Amy Dake: My partner is in a wheelchair and he can't navigate the street at all because we've got the humps in the street, which can cause the wheelchair to tip over, and then on top of that, we've got sidewalks that are so uneven that you can't pass them.
Emyle Watkins: According to the US Election Assistance Commission, "11% of voters with disabilities had some type of difficulty voting in 2020. This indicates a total of 1.95 million voters with disabilities experience voting difficulties."
Alex Jusko: I just physically don't want to wait around that long, and it takes a lot out of me to stand for that long, so I'd rather not, if I can avoid it.
Emyle Watkins: Alex Jusko is among many disabled voters who voted by mail due to barriers at the polls. But voting by mail has its barriers too. In New York, it's required that someone print, sign, and mail back a ballot, which can be difficult if you have limited mobility or vision loss. Jusko says he'd love to see fully virtual options, but also knows that faces a lot of criticism.
Alex Jusko: Well, in the secure world, I would love to see maybe a more virtual option where people could maybe vote virtually, but then we'd run into issues with people accusing countries of hacking, and rigging the election, and things like that.
Emyle Watkins: However, a system to return ballots this way already exists and works in much of the US. Thirty-one states already allow disabled and/or military voters to return their ballots virtually, according to The National Conference of State Legislatures.
Ultimately, equal access to basic areas of living, such as housing, employment, transportation, and education can have an impact on disabled voting, which then could also impact who's elected and what they focus on for the disability community. The US Election Assistance Commission points out, "Employed people with disabilities were just as likely as employed people without disabilities to vote in 2020 as in previous elections, suggesting employment helps bring people with disabilities into mainstream political life." Jusko shared the day after the election that disabled people need to stay energized and continue advocating for access after casting their ballot.
Alex Jusko: The more and more we use our voices, the more and more we put the energy out there to say, "Hey, we need change here, and this is why we need it." That's the important part, and to be represented as citizens of our community, because if we stay quiet, then we aren't doing anything for not only ourselves, but for the people in our community.
Emyle Watkins: Mason Ald contributed reporting to this story.
Emyle Watkins: You can listen to the Disabilities Beat segment on demand, view a transcript in plain language description for every episode on our website at wbfo.org. I'm Emyle Watkins. Thanks for listening.
