1. Barriers to Democracy:
Voter Accessibility in
Minnesota

2. The Power of Voting
“the basic right, without which all others
are meaningless.”
President Lyndon B. Johnson
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3. Agenda
• Historical Context
• Why did we get involved
• The first survey
• The post-election survey
• Solutions
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4. Global Context of Voting
Mali 2 1.3
Ivory Coast 37
Russia 5 8 .4
USA 6 6 .5
France 73.8
Canada 73.9
Cameroon 74
Great Brit ain 75 .2
Iran 77.3
Israel 80 .3
Aust ralia 9 4 .5
0 20 40 60 80 100
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5. Right to Vote
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Article XXI
The will of the people shall be the basis of the
authority of government; this will shall be
expressed in periodic and genuine elections
which shall be by universal and equal suffrage
and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent
free voting procedures.”
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6. Recent Landmarks
Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and
Handicapped Act 1984
• Requires polling places to be physically
accessible to people with disabilities
Americans with Disabilities Act 1990
• Provided for ballot and poll access for those with
disabilities
Help America Vote Act 2002
• Mandates that all polling places have at least
one disability-accessible voting device
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7. Right to Vote
Minnesota Constitution
ARTICLE VII Section 1.
Every person 18 years of age or more who has
been a citizen of the United States for three
months and who has resided in the precinct for
30 days next preceding an election shall be
entitled to vote in that precinct.
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8. 2012 Constitutional Amendment
S.F. No. 1577, as introduced
1.10 Every person 18 years of age or more who has
been a citizen of the United
1.11 States for three months and; who has resided
in the precinct for 30 days next preceding an
1.12 election; who presents valid photographic
identification as prescribed by law; and whose
1.13 eligibility to vote has been established under
this section shall be entitled to vote in that
1.14 precinct.
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9. Why Voting? Why Courage?
What if you wanted to vote but the polling
place was locked?
For many of the 33.7 million Americans with
disabilities of voting age, this situation is all too real
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10. Why Voting? Why Courage?
• Courage Center is committed to advancing the
lives of children and adults experiencing barriers
to health and independence.
• Empowering people to advocate for themselves,
friends, family and the whole community is
essential for moving Minnesota forward.
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11. Why Voting? Why Courage?
University of Arkansas Study
A study by researchers Kay Schriner and Douglas
Kruse shows that people with disabilities eligible
to vote are 20 percentage points less likely than
non-disabled people to do so.
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12. Why Voting? Why Courage?
Untapped Power of the Disability Vote
• If people with disabilities voted at the same rate as
the non-disabled, 10M more votes would have been
cast in the last Presidential election - a major voting
bloc.
• Voting is power, and measuring the size of a
group's vote can significantly impact that group's
political muscle.
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13. The First Survey Development
• We developed the survey by reviewing the
literature and looking at common problems
with access.
• We wanted to hit on all types of accessibility –
including physical and social access
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14. The First Survey Data Collection
Conducted in March of 2008
• We distributed the survey through various
organizations, particularly utilizing the reach of
the Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with
Disabilities
• They were distributed in hard copy and by
email
• We received 145 surveys
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15. First Survey Outcomes
By the numbers
• 97% of the respondents voted in Minnesota
• 90% voted at the polling place, 10% absentee
• 65% of the respondents knew that accessible
voting machines were available, but only 44% used
them
• 64% of respondents knew that they could use an
absentee ballot, and 54% said they knew they
could request to always get an absentee ballot.
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16. First Survey Outcomes
Physical Barriers to Voting
• 26% of respondents reported that transportation
or parking were barriers to the polls
• While the individual responses for physical
barriers were not high, 24% of respondents
reported at least one physical barrier to the polls
• Heavy doors, signage, curb cuts, steps, narrow or
obstructed paths, narrow doors, ramps, and
revolving doors were the biggest challenges
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17. First Survey Outcomes
Other Barriers to Voting
• 20% of respondents reported that providing
identification was a barrier to the polls
• 11% of the respondents reported that
election judges had presented barriers to
voting.
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18. However, we had more questions:
• We didn’t specify which election, so could not
say whether these were problems that had
existed at one time, or existed currently
• We decided to repeat the survey after the 2008
elections to see what the experiences of were in
a Presidential year
• We also wanted more information about where
the respondents lived, and more about their
health condition
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19. New Survey
Completed Post Election
• We received 172 surveys, returned by
individuals who were eligible to vote in the
2008 Presidential elections.
• The respondents had a wide range of
disabilities, including:
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20. Breakdown of Disabilities
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21. Respondents were Statewide
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22. New Survey
How we vote
• 55% of the respondents were aware of accessible
voting machines
• 31% of the respondents had used the accessible
voting machines
• However, 10% reported that election judges being
unable to use the accessible voting machines was
a barrier to voting
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23. New Survey
Absentee Ballots
• 78% were aware that they could vote by
absentee ballot
• Respondents had strong feelings about
going to the polls and voting
• Overall distrust of absentee ballots, and
whether they would be counted
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24. Comments on Absentee Ballots
Comments Included:
• “They have to count my ballots if I come in
person, absentee ballots may not be counted.”
• “It’s traditional for me to vote in person.”
• “Why should I [vote absentee]? I have the
right to vote in person and shouldn’t be forced
to vote absentee”
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25. Comments on Absentee Ballots
• “Because I want to participate in the process”
Respondents wanted to be part of the social
experience as a member of the community, and
specifically to demonstrate that everyone votes.
• Some eligible voters didn’t know that they could
vote absentee, or found the absentee process
complicated or confusing.
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26. New Survey
Barriers Identified by Respondents
TRANSPORTATION
• 34% identified transportation, parking or
drop off problems as barriers to the polls
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27. New Survey
Barriers Identified by Respondents
PHYSICAL BARRIERS
• 35% identified physical barriers to the polls
and to voting.
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28. New Survey
Barriers Identified by Respondents
• Doors too heavy or difficult to open – 17%
• Lack of signage to accessible entrance – 13%
• Narrow or obstructed paths, in or outside of the
building – 10%
• Steps – 9%
• Lack of curb cuts at the voting site – 9%
• Doors that are too narrow – 6%
• Ramps too steep – 3%
• Revolving doors – 2%
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29. New Survey
Barriers Identified by Respondents
ELECTION JUDGES/STAFF
• 14% of the respondents identified the polling staff
as a barrier to voting (increase over last survey)
• Only 37% of the respondents were able to vote
without asking for help.
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30. New Survey
Barriers Identified by Respondents
IDENTIFICATION
• 8% reported that the need for identification was
a current barrier to voting
• In one case, the voter lived in a group home,
did not have an ID, and didn’t receive bills in
the mail so could not use those as ID. The staff
at the group home would not accompany the
individual to vote.
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31. New Survey
Photo ID
We asked if needing a photo ID would be a barrier to
voting. 10% said that it would, and cited the
following problems:
• Long lines
• Difficulty getting a photo ID
• Difficulty physically handling the ID
• Difficulty with transportation to get the ID
• Problem with losing the ID
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32. Problems and Solutions
Areas to Explore
• Photo ID
• Accessibility of the Polls
• Barrier of Transportation
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33. Who is Impacted by Photo ID
11% of voting age citizens do not have a current
unexpired government issued photo ID with their
current address on it.
These percentages are even higher for seniors,
people of color, people with disabilities, low-income
voters, and students.
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34. Who is Impacted by Photo ID
Moreover the cost and process to obtain a photo ID
can be difficult for many people with disabilities and
unfortunately the correlation between disability and
poverty still remains. A 2009 OECD study covering
21 developed countries shows higher poverty rates
among working-age people with disabilities than
among working-age people without disability in all
but three countries (Norway, Slovakia, and Sweden.)
Costs Can Include:
• Birth Certificate $26
• Marriage License $9
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35. Solution in Search of a Problem?
2008 US General Elections
Total Voters in MN
2,9,214,498
Voter Impersonator Investigations
7 or 0.0002% of Voters
Double Voting Investigations
165 or 0.0056%
Non-citizens Voting Investigations
9 or 0.0003%
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36. Photo ID and Absentee Ballots
Issues with photo ID are not only prevalent on
election day.
Many individuals with disabilities use absentee
ballots to cast their vote. Wisconsin’s recently
enacted voter ID legislation requires that an ID
must be submitted within 3 days of the election for
your ballot to be counted.
For someone in greater Minnesota that can often
mean traveling a 50 mile round trip to reach the
county auditors office.
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37. Solutions
Voter ID
• Reject the proposed legislation
• Allow people to sign the voting register under
affidavit
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38. Barriers to the Polls
From a 2001 US General Accounting
Office Report to Congress:
16 percent of all polling places in the contiguous
United States have no potential impediments, 56
percent have one or more potential impediments
but offer curbside voting, and 28 percent have
one or more potential impediments and do not
offer curbside voting.
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39. Poll Accessibility
Assessment of the environment
1. Is community transportation available
throughout the voting day? (not just work
hours)
3. Are the judges trained and comfortable
with the voting machines?
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40. Poll Accessibility Checklist
• Are the doors (interior or exterior) too narrow
for wheelchairs?
• Is there adequate parking and drop-off space
near the polling area?
• Are there curb cuts at the voting sites?
• Are there narrow or obstructed paths inside or
outside of the building?
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41. Poll Accessibility Checklist
• Is the voting location and parking and drop off
areas clearly marked?
• Are there steps between parking and the voting
location?
• If there is a ramp, is it of appropriate grade?
• Are there heavy doors that must be opened?
• Are there revolving doors?
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42. The Barrier of Transportation
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43. Community Solutions
Rides to the Polls
• Pilot project in the Seven County Metro
• Multiple partners including MN Council
of Non-Profits, Merrick Inc. and Target
• Driver recruitment entirely voluntary-
100+ volunteers in total
• Multiple ride options on Election Days in
2008 and 2010. This included 6 fully
accessible minivans
• A 600+ rides given over the two
elections
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44. Community Solutions
Rides to the Polls
Selected Stories and Quotes:
‘Thank you for you service today. I had a stroke
and this way the only way I could vote.’
‘Accessible Service + Curbside voting + Respectful
Help = One More Voice! A stronger Democracy’
‘Ming, originally from Shanghai, China and a new
citizen. Due to his physical disability he was
unable to get to his polling place independently.
He called for a ride and was picked up by a
volunteer driver at his senior citizen high rise and
was excited to vote for the first time.’
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45. Summary
• Access and barriers to the polls are still a
major issue for individuals with disabilities
• Electoral access needs to be increased,
not decreased
• Action at the community and state level
needs to take place
• An examination of the organizational set
up of elections needs to occur
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46. Questions?
Nancy A. Flinn & Christian Knights
www.couragecenter.org
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