According to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, more than 11% of voters with disabilities experienced some type of difficulty voting in 2020, despite early voting and expanded access to mail-in voting due to COVID-19.
In South Carolina a new campaign aims to reduce that number by promoting voter registration, voter education and voter encouragement among young people with disabilities.
Macy Adams is Voting and Public Policy Coordinator with Disability Rights, a nonprofit organization that protects and advances the legal, civil, and human rights of people with disabilities. The organization’s new campaign is called “Voting is My Right.”
Adams said the most common issue or concern in South Carolina is training for poll workers.
“Maybe they don’t understand what features on the voting machines exist, maybe they don’t understand what rights people with disabilities have, as far as assistance in the polls.”
Adams said her organization, along with the state’s election commission has been working to improve training and that she is optimistic about progress and the experience of people with disabilities during future elections.
“They have really upped their training with poll workers this year. We also do a lot of county outreach with poll works and with people who train poll workers.”
Adams added another major component of the “Voting is My Right,” is reaching more parts of the state, especially rural communities.
