Strengthen & Expand Social Security: Vote November 6th
Let’s send Congress a message on November 6. Vote. You many have been reading things in the newspaper and in social media about changes in voting and election laws. It is important to know what your rights are and how to make sure you are registered and able to vote in the upcoming election on November 6, 2018 and thereafter. The Seniors Trust has compiled this guide so you know your rights when you go to the ballot box.
Federal Voting Rights Laws
Important for seniors, the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act of 1984 mandates that polling places be accessible to people with disabilities. 35 million Americans with disabilities are eligible to vote. You have the right to vote privately and independently and to have an accessible polling place with voting machines that will accommodate people with disabilities. This includes voting booths, doorways and entrances that are accessible for people in wheelchairs, and equipment to help those who are blind or vision impaired. You can either get help from a poll worker or bring someone to help you vote. Some states will even bring poll materials to your car. Local organizations often provide transportation to the polls. Most states also offer early voting as well as absentee voting, where the ballot is sent to you to fill out. You must mail it back within the specified time. You must be very careful to follow the instructions to the letter on how to mark the ballot, seal it in the envelope and sign and date it or your ballot could be invalidated.
Various federal laws have been passed over the years that protect American citizens’ right to vote and to exercise that right. The Civil Rights Act, which has been amended 4 times, provides some of the first protections against discrimination in voting. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 added protections to prohibit discrimination based on race, color or if you speak another language. It also requires provision for election materials in languages other than English.
The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act of 1986 allows overseas voters as servicemen and women to register and vote by mail. It was amended in 2009 to provide electronic access, mail absentee ballots and a system to check to see if your ballots were received and counted.
The National Voter Registration Act 0f 1993 gives people more opportunities to register to vote and stay registered.
The Help America Vote Act of 2002 provides federal funding for election administration and created the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. Under this law, states must adopt minimum standards on voting systems, voter information on election days, provisional ballots and for first time voters who register to vote by mail. It also sets up statewide voter registration databases.
State Voter ID Laws
Every state sets its requirements for voting, and now, two-thirds of states require that you show some form of identification before you can vote at the polls. The requirements for each state can be found at www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/voter.id.aspx#Details. This website also details exceptions to voter identification requirements in some states. This may be important to those who have lost their ID due to a natural disaster.
There has been another concern in the news about some states which have purged voter rolls of those who have not voted lately or have moved and haven’t notified their state Registrar of Voters. This is especially relevant to seniors who move in with their children, into an assisted living facility or nursing home, or retirement community, especially if it is in another state.
Voter Fraud and Intimidation
If you have been intimidated, coerced, threatened or denied the right to vote, this is a civil rights violation. Many polling places have poll watchers, which will be wearing identifying badges, who will assist you if you have a problem voting. If you feel that you have been a victim of voter fraud or voter registration fraud, you can report it to your state or territorial election office (you can find that at https://www.usa.gov/election-office, the FBI, your local U.S. Attorney’s office or the Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice.
Now is the time to check your voting status, re-register if you need to, find out where your voting precinct is for early or regular voting and plan on how you are going to get there. If voting in person will be a problem, apply for an absentee ballot.