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Voting

Our Position

Support legislation that protects the rights of all Texans with disabilities to participate fully in the voting process. Measures include: 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.

The Latest

Partners

American Council of the Blind of Texas
REV UP! Texas (Register! Educate! Vote! Use your Power!)

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 2017, we led efforts to pass legislation that would have granted voters with disabilities priority access at the polls, ensured access to ballots to people in nursing homes and assisted-living centers, and added screen-reader accessible sample ballots to websites. These either did not pass or were overturned.

In 2019, voter rights are once again the spotlight. We'll be working not only expand access, but to protect the rights of voters with disabilities, which seem to be challenged every session by misguided efforts to curb voter fraud.