FAQs for disabled voters, their care team, support system, and families
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Disabled Ohioans have the right to vote just like any other Ohio citizen. The State has the obligation to provide reasonable accommodations to disabled voters so that they may vote.
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Same as anyone else! Visit OhioVoterGuide.org to check your registration, visit VoteOhio.gov to update your registration, or visit your local Board of Elections to update your registration. Be sure to register to vote at least 30 days before Election Day.
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All voting centers must be accessible by law. If you run into access issues, you can report them.
Drive-through voting is especially for disabled voters. Mail-in ballots are also a great option.
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Yes! Absentee voting is available in Ohio. To vote by mail, you must first request an absentee ballot. You can get an absentee ballot request form at your local Board of Elections, some libraries, and other community centers. You can also print an absentee ballot request form from the Ohio Secretary of State’s website and send or deliver it to your local Board of Elections. After that, they will mail you your absentee ballot. You will have to fill it out and send it back with your own postage. Absentee voting generally starts about 30 days before Election Day in Ohio.
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Yes, as mentioned above.
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Yes. Absentee ballot request forms need to be returned to your local Board of Elections at least 7 days prior to Election Day. Absentee ballots need to be postmarked before Election Day, or physically delivered to your local Board of Elections no later than 7:30 PM on Election Day.
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You can call ahead to ask about their accessibility. As mentioned before, all voting centers must be accessible by law.
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Ohio offers digitally accessible ballots for any Ohio voter with a qualifying disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act. A disabled voter can access, read, and mark their ballot privately and independently using the accessible absentee voting system, using any necessary assistive technology. If this is something you believe would work well for you, you can read more about the process and request an accessible absentee ballot here.
If you want to vote in person (early or on Election Day), and you need assistance because of your disability (for example, you are unable to read or to physically mark your ballot), you may bring someone with you to help you vote. You may ask anyone to help you vote, except your employer, an agent of your employer, an agent of your union, or a candidate on the ballot. You also may ask for assistance from two precinct election officials from each of the major political parties. No one who helps you vote can tell you how you should/must vote or provide information to others about how you voted.
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Yes, as mentioned above. You may ask anyone to help you vote, except your employer, an agent of your employer, an agent of your union, or a candidate on the ballot. You also may ask for assistance from two precinct election officials from each of the major political parties. No one who helps you vote can tell you how you should/must vote or provide information to others about how you voted.
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You can simply speak to an elections official and ask for the reasonable accommodations that you need.
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In Ohio, you must have a valid, unexpired Ohio photo ID or driver’s license, or passport to vote in person. If you have difficulty obtaining an ID, you can visit the BMV and get one for free, or you can simply vote by mail or absentee vote with the last 4 digits of your social security number.
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In Ohio, disabled voters can vote curbside, if they are physically unable to enter their early voting location or polling location. With curbside voting, two poll workers from opposite major political parties bring out a ballot, and you have the option to sit in your vehicle to vote or vote at the door of the early voting location or polling location.
If early voting, arrangements should be made to vote curbside at the early voting location prior to arrival.
If voting on election day, you can send another person into the polling location to inform poll workers of your desire to vote curbside.
To get more information about curbside voting at your early voting or polling location, contact your county board of elections.
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As mentioned above, you could vote curbside.
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Yes, service animals are protected by the American with Disabilities Act, and entering a polling location with them is a reasonable accommodation that the polling location must allow.
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You can file an ADA complaint. You could also contact Disability Right Ohio. Disability Rights Ohio operates a voter hotline every Election Day while polls are open. On every other business day, their intake department is open from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m., though you can leave a message 24 hours a day. You can reach them by calling 800-282-9181.
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Curbside voting is when you vote outside of your polling location. As mentioned above, disabled voters can vote curbside if they are physically unable to enter their early voting location or polling location. With curbside voting, two poll workers from opposite major political parties bring out a ballot, and you have the option to sit in your vehicle to vote or vote at the door of the early voting location or polling location.
If early voting, arrangements should be made to vote curbside at the early voting location prior to arrival.
If voting on election day, you can send another person into the polling location to inform poll workers of your desire to vote curbside.
To get more information about curbside voting at your early voting or polling location, contact your county board of elections.
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Yes, simply speak to a poll worker to access one.
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Yes, as mentioned above. You may ask anyone to help you vote, except your employer, an agent of your employer, an agent of your union, or a candidate on the ballot. You also may ask for assistance from two precinct election officials from each of the major political parties. No one who helps you vote can tell you how you should/must vote or provide information to others about how you voted.
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They can visit their local Board of Elections or the Ohio Secretary of State’s website to request an accessible absentee ballot for a disabled person who is unable to do so themselves.
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Voters with disabilities are legally entitled to have assistance when voting, and when registering to vote and requesting absentee ballots. Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act allows voters with disabilities to “select a person of their choice to assist them with voting,” including the return of the voter’s absentee ballot. As long as a caregiver does not tell a disabled voter how they should or must vote, they can assist.
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Yes, anyone can help you vote, except your employer, an agent of your employer, an agent of your union, or a candidate on the ballot. You also may ask for assistance from two precinct election officials from each of the major political parties. No one who helps you vote can tell you how you should/must vote or provide information to others about how you voted.
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Most localities with public transportation offer free public transportation fare to the polls on Election Day. Many rideshare services also offer free or discounted services on Election Day.
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A disabled voter may select any person of their choosing to deliver their ballot, other than their employer or an officer in their union.
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The Americans with Disabilities Act and the Voting Rights Act both protect disabled voters’ rights and access.
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Yes, as long as they can make decisions about voting for themselves, and do not have a guardian. Before one’s right to vote is taken away a probate court must declare that they are incompetent for voting purposes.
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You can explain processes and elections as clearly and plainly as possible. Organizations like the American Association of People with Disabilities and Disability Rights Ohio have resources for voting, like plain language guides.
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You can simply inform them that they are entitled to vote, and that their voting access is protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Voting Rights Act. If anyone pushes back or questions you, you can file an ADA complaint or contact Disability Rights Ohio at 800-282-9181.
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Disability Rights Ohio may be able to help.
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