Barriers to Democracy: Voter Accessibility in Minnesota

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Barriers to Democracy Voter Accessibility in
Minnesota
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Global Context of Voting
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Agenda

• Historical Context
• Why did we get involved
• The first survey
• The post-election survey
• Solutions

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 144 surveys

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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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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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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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However, we had more questions

• We didnt 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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New Survey
Completed this Summer

• We received 127 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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Breakdown of Disabilities
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Respondents were Statewide
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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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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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Comments on Absentee Ballots
Comments Included

• They have to count my ballots if I come in
  person, absentee ballots may not be counted.
• Its traditional for me to vote in person.
• Why should I vote absentee? I have the right
  to vote in person and shouldnt be forced to vote
  absentee

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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 didnt know that they could
  vote absentee, or found the absentee process
  complicated or confusing.

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New Survey
Barriers Identified by Respondents

• TRANSPORTATION
• 34 identified transportation, parking or drop
  off problems as barriers to the polls

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New Survey
Barriers Identified by Respondents

• PHYSICAL BARRIERS
• 35 identified physical barriers to the polls and
  to voting.

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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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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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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 didnt 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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What are the Solutions
Picture ID
We asked if needing a picture ID would be a
barrier to voting. 10 said that it would, and
cited the following problems

• Long lines
• Difficulty getting a picture ID
• Difficulty physically handling the ID
• Difficulty with transportation to get the ID
• Problem with losing the ID

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What are the Solutions
Assessment of the environment

• Is community transportation available throughout
  the voting day? (not just work hours)
• Are the judges trained and comfortable with the
  voting machines?

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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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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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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- 50
  volunteers in total
• Multiple ride options on Election Day including 6
  fully accessible minivans
• A total of 242 rides given on Nov 4th

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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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Innovative Solutions
Mobile Polling Teams

• The Australian Electoral Commission has mobile
  polling teams that take portable polling places
  to many eligible voters who are not able to get
  to a polling place.
• Mobile polling is carried out around Australia
  during the 12 days before election day and on
  election day.

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Innovative Solutions
Mobile Polling Teams

• Mobile polling teams visited hospitals and
  nursing homes to enable patients and residents to
  cast their vote.
• In 2004 2,107 hospitals and nursing homes around
  Australia were visited by a total of 445 mobile
  polling teams in the days leading up to and
  including election day.

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Innovative Solutions
Mobile Polling Teams

• The AEC used road, air and sea transport to visit
  Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
  and their outstations, pastoral properties, small
  towns, tourist resorts and mine sites
• 43 mobile polling teams visited 382 remote
  locations in the Northern Territory, Western
  Australia, South Australia and Queensland

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Summary

• Access to the polls is still a major issue for
  individuals with disabilities
• 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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Thank You

• Courage Center
• www.couragecenter.org
• Nancy Flinn Christian Knights