Voting is a fundamental right, privilege and duty. People with disabilities, however, may find themselves excluded from voting. People with physical disabilities, including those who use wheelchairs and walkers, may be unable to vote at their local polling places on Election Day due to physical barriers precluding them from participating in local voting where they can meet their neighbors and polling officials and participate in civic life. People with intellectual or mental health disabilities may be excluded from voting because of poll workers’ prejudice and ignorance as to their capabilities or misunderstanding about the law. People with sensory disabilities may be unable to fully participate in the voting process due to communication barriers, infringing on their right to vote privately and independently. Transportation barriers and poll workers who are unfamiliar with the accessible features on voting equipment make it more difficult for people with disabilities to vote.
Pennsylvania should be a leader in expanding access to all people to exercise their guaranteed right to vote. Over the last year, our commonwealth has seen more serious, bipartisan conversation than it has in a generation on modernizing the election code, enhancing election security, and offering all voters more convenient and modern options for participation. Adopting more inclusive rules for absentee voting is an essential part of those reforms.