Accessible Voting

Overview

Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act requires state and local governments to ensure that people with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote. The ADA’s provisions apply to all aspects of voting, including voter registration, site selection, and the casting of ballots, whether on Election Day or during an absentee voting process.

Voters with disabilities have the right to:

• Vote in private, without help
• Have an accessible polling place with voting machines for voters with disabilities

Polling places must have:

• Wheelchair-accessible voting booths
• Entrances and doorways at least 32 inches wide
• Handrails on all stairs
• Voting equipment for people who are blind or visually impaired

On This Page

Vote Absentee

If you have a temporary physical disability, you may vote absentee via mail-in ballot. Follow these instructions to apply for a ballot. You may request an absentee ballot in person until 5pm the day before election day. Mailed requests for absentee ballots must be received by 5:00 p.m. on the second Wednesday before an election. Read more about application-based absentee voting.

If you have a permanent physical disability, you may request to be placed on a designated list so that your local election authority can automatically mail an absentee ballot application directly to you prior to each election. Follow these instructions to request a permanently disabled voter application.

Request Accessible Voting Materials

Every polling place must have an accessible voting system for individuals with disabilities including audiovisual accessibility. Accessible systems include an audio ballot to make your selections or the ability to enlarge text so that you can read the on-screen ballot with ease. You may also request accessible voting materials with your absentee voting application. Learn more about requesting accessible voting materials.

Vote In Person

Curbside Voting

Voters with limited mobility can do what is called curbside voting. Just go to your polling place and ask someone to go in and ask poll workers to bring a ballot out to you. They should bring you a ballot within a reasonable period of time.

Voting at a Polling Place

If your local polling place is not accessible, you can visit any city-wide polling place, where any registered voter may vote regardless of where they live. Find your nearest city-wide polling place.

Report a Violation

If you feel that you have not been able to access your right to vote because of accessibility issues, or because you have been discriminated against based on your disability, you may file a grievance with the the Board of Elections.

If, when trying to vote, you have faced an issue with disabled parking or ADA accessibility of public buildings, you can report a disability issue online or by phone to Citizens' Service Bureau.

Resources

• Accessible Voting at Missouri Secretary of State
  The Elections Division of the Office of the Secretary of State has information about accessible voting.
• Voting and Elections at USA.gov
  Find answers to common questions about voting in the United States
• Resources for Voters with Disabilities
  Additional voting resources from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission
• The Americans with Disabilities Act and Other Federal Laws Protecting the Rights of Voters with Disabilities

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