These are your rights and what to know while voting with a disability in Kansas City
Tuesday, April 5 is Election Day in Missouri. Voters in Kansas City will weigh in on up to three ballot questions. You can read more about those here.
Voters in school districts around Kansas City will also be electing school board members. You can see who is all running for school board in Jackson County here, and for school boards in Cass, Clay and Platte counties here.
School board races in Park Hill, Independence, North Kansas City and Lee’s Summit school districts are also on the table. Education reporter Sarah Ritter broke everything down for those school districts.
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
If you’re voting with a disability, Kendra Burgess with The Whole Person provided some knowledge on what you need to know and what rights you have when you go out to vote.
WHAT VOTING OPTIONS AND ACCOMMODATIONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES?
If you’re living with a permanent disability, you can request to be placed on the Permanent Disability Absentee Voting list, where your local election authority will mail you an absentee ballot for every election, and it doesn’t have to be notarized.
You’ll need to fill out this form and fax it to 816-221-3348 or mail it to 30 W. Pershing Rd., Lower Level B, Suite 2800.
You can also request an absentee ballot by calling 816-842-4820 ext. 227 or filling out this form. While it might be too late to request one nowin time for Tuesday’s election, you can do the same in future elections for 2022.
WHAT ARE POLLING PLACES SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE?
Kansas City’s election board offers the following accessibility services for people with disabilities:
Accessible voting machines
Curbside voting
Homebound voting
An example of an accessible voting machine is an audio ballot, which will read the ballot to voters with vision impairments. It allows them to cast their vote using a Braille keypad.
Electronic voting ballots should also have an option to enlarge the screen’s text, so people living with visual disabilities can see what they’re voting for.
Other forms of accessible voting machines that Kansas City’s election board provides can be found here.
WHAT DO I DO IF THOSE AREN’T PROVIDED?
While the Americans with Disabilities Act requires voting places to follow a checklist to make sure sites are accessible, sometimes places fly under the radar. Stairs, a lack of curb cuts or wheelchair-accessible ramps are some barriers people with disabilities may face when they arrive to vote.
What you’ll have to do is contact your local election authority. You can find yours by going to this link or by calling 800-NOW-VOTE. All voting places must have accessible voting systems in place for people who need them.
You can also reach out to the poll workers working during the day and ask for reasonable accommodations.
Burgess said you could also go to a central polling location and you can find a list of those in Kansas City here.
Do you have other questions? Ask us at kcq@kcstar.com.
