Despite federal protections including the Americans with Disabilities Act, Maine voters with disabilities still face challenges at the polls. While places like Orono accommodate disabled voters, nationwide gaps in providing accessible voting stations and trained poll workers remain. While the town of Orono has worked to address accessibility needs, barriers persist.
A democratic system is intrinsically dependent on the opportunity for all citizens to vote. Yet, in the United States, that right has not always been protected for all demographics. It took nearly 100 years for black men to gain the right to vote, and it wasn’t until the ratification of the 19th amendment in 1920 that women were extended this right.
However, voting was not fully protected for nearly half a century. The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s not only bolstered minority rights, but laid the groundwork of the fight for disability rights throughout the country.
In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted, becoming the first civil rights law that comprehensively protects the disability community. The U.S. Department of Justice defines the ADA as a “federal civil rights law that provides protections to people with disabilities that are similar to protections provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age and religion.”
When it comes to voting rights, the act establishes a number of guidelines that polling places must adhere to. In general, the ADA requires that people with disabilities have a “full and equal opportunity to vote, [including] voter registration, site selection and the casting of ballots” (USDJ).
To better understand how this applies to voters in the Orono area, University of Maine Associate Professor of Political Science Robert Glover provided insights based on his hands-on experience with local elections and polling practices. He shared that poll workers are trained to support individuals who may face physical barriers to casting their vote.
“I’ve been working with Orono polls since 2014, and certainly we have people who come in who need some sort of accommodation. We try to be proactive on those things as best we can, responding to people’s needs,” said Glover. “That’s what poll workers do.”
Guidelines that Orono polls follow are established by federal policy, which ensures that every polling place across the country offers support to individuals that need it.
Just as with any other policy, there are cases in which these guidelines are not upheld by election officials. Professor Glover urges voters to educate themselves and others about their rights so they can be fully aware of any violations against them.
Those with questions or concerns about the election may reach out to Professor Glover at robert.glover@maine.edu.
“I’ve been getting about an email an hour from someone on campus about something related to voting, and I answer those very promptly and try to give folks good information,” shares Glover.
In addition, any violations of voter rights must be reported to the Secretary of State office immediately in order to ensure a fair election for all, including the disabled community.
