Accessibility

Vermont’s election laws are designed to make it easy for all eligible Vermonters to vote and to register to vote. One of the specific purposes of the Vermont Election Laws is “to provide equal opportunity for all citizens of voting age to participate in political processes” 17 V.S.A. §2101.

Vermont’s Accessible Voting System

In 2018, beginning with the August Primary, the Secretary of State's Office introduced a new accessible voting system. This is a tablet-based system that marks the voter's selections onto the same paper ballots used by all voters at the polls, increasing the privacy and independence of the vote for a voter with disabilities. The system also contains an online-based ballot marking interface which enables voters with disabilities to vote privately and independently from home during the early voting period.

We are very proud to offer this state-of-the-art accessible voting system to Vermonters voters with a disability. Please feel free to contact us with questions.

Download the Voter’s Guide for People with Disabilities

Voting rights as a person with a disability:

• The right to vote (if you are otherwise qualified)
• The right to access your polling place
• The right to receive reasonable accommodations for your disability

If you need accommodations to assist you with voting, you may:

• Contact your Town Clerk to request accommodations
• Bring a person of your choice into the voting booth with you for assistance (not your employer or union representative)
• Ask an election official for assistance with marking your ballot
• Ask an election official to bring a ballot to your car
• Bring a magnifying glass or other devices to help you use the ballot
• Bring a list of candidates into the voting booth to help you
• Ask for another ballot (maximum of 3) if you make a mistake
• Use the Omniballot tablet accessible voting system at the polls

If you experience problems with voting you may contact:

Disability Rights Vermont
141 Main Street, Suite 7, Montpelier, VT 05602
1-800-834-7890 or 1-802-229-1355
www.DisabilityRightsVT.org

Vermont Secretary of State, Elections Division
128 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05602
1-800-439-8683

Vermont Center for Independent Living
1-800-639-1522
www.vcil.org

Green Mountain Self Advocates
1-800-564-9990
www.gmsavt.org

Download the Voter’s Guide for People with Disabilities

Download "Disability Etiquette" - A Guide to Respectful Communication

Download "Accessibility of Elections Campaigns for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing and DeafBlind Participants"

Help America Vote Act

The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) required states to implement voting systems that are accessible for individuals with disabilities and permit voters who are blind or visually impaired to cast their votes privately and independently. Since the implementation of HAVA in 2004 until 2016, Vermont used a vote-by-phone style accessible voting system. In 2018, we replaced the vote-by-phone system with a state-of-the-art accessible ballot marking device. This accessible ballot marking device is designed to meet and even exceed the HAVA mandate.