Voting
3 minute read
Our Position
CTD supports legislation that protects the rights of all Texans with disabilities to participate fully in the voting process, including: accessible voting technologies at all polling locations, the elimination of architectural and communication barriers at polling locations, and protecting the rights of eligible voters to participate in elections.
CTD worked hard to support HB 3159 (Leach), which would have established an electronic absentee voting system for people with disabilities to cast an accessible mail-in ballot without assistance from another person. Despite bipartisan support, the bill was vetoed by Governor Abbott. Those voting in person will see polling place accessibility improvements, thanks to the passage of SB 477 (Zaffirini).
The Latest
June 21, 2023: The Texas Tribune reports that Gov. Greg Abbott vetoes bill that would give people with disabilities new option to vote by mail
June 20, 2023, The Daily Texas takes a look at 2 bills we supported, passed by the Texas Legislature to increase voting accessibility
March 1, 2023: Read our latest op-ed in the Texas Tribune, Protecting voter access requires legislative action
NOTE: If you vote by mail, make sure the signatures on your Ballot by Mail Application and ballot match as closely as possible. Otherwise, your vote may be thrown out. Get updates on the 2020 mail-in ballot layout plus, tips on working with your post office from the Center on Civic Design.
Partners
American Council of the Blind of Texas
Background
CTD has worked to protect the voting rights of Texans with disabilities and promote voting within this community since our foundation in 1978. For example, for many years, we successfully opposed Voter ID bills in the Texas legislature, which would have restricted access to the voting process. In 2011, the legislature did pass a Voter ID bill, but one with a CTD amendment that allows a person with a disability to claim an exemption from the new requirements.
In 2019, voter rights were once again the spotlight. SB 9 (Hughes) proposed new requirements for providing assistance to voters with disabilities, including potential criminal penalties for honest mistakes. CTD joined a coalition of disability, voting, and civil rights organizations in expressing major concerns about the constitutional legality of SB 9, as well as the chilling effect it could have had on the number of people willing to assist Texas voters with disabilities. Thanks to the push back from this coalition, SB 9 lost the momentum and support it would have needed to pass the House. SB 9 was a priority bill for state leaders, and stopping the bill is a major achievement. Read the voting coalition's full letter to the Senate
Through the wins and losses in the 87th regular and both specials sessions, we played a vital role in many of the negotiations, while continually reinforcing that election measures lose any semblance of integrity once they interfere with the reasonable, necessary, and legally protected accommodations for voters with disabilities that have already been in place and working well.
Further Reading
- Blog: Voting Independently with a Disability Is Possible Susie Angel
Resources
- Texas Tribune's How to Vote by Mail in Texas FAQ
- The Arc of Texas' Plain Language Voter Resources (English & Spanish)
- Sign up for The League of Women Voters of Texas Voting Reminders by email or text
- REV UP! Texas' Resources
- Disability Rights Texas' Voting Resources for People with Disabilities and Election Workers and COVID-19 Pandemic and Questions about Voting
