Everyone should have the right to vote. If you have a disability and you are under guardianship, you might have heard that this means you can’t vote. However, in many states, it is still possible to vote with a guardian! The laws in your state will tell you if you are able to vote. Your guardian does NOT get to decide if you can vote.
If you want to know the rules about voting and guardianship in your state, you can look them up in our toolkit. We also tell you where you can get help to advocate for your right to vote. You should also check out the GoVoter Project from Self Advocates Becoming Empowered to learn more about voting.
If you do get to vote, make sure you have a plan for election day! If your state’s deadline hasn’t passed, get registered right away. Then, you can apply to vote by mail, plan to vote early, or find out where to go to vote on November 3rd. Our tool makes these first steps easy.
We’ve partnered with our friends at the National Disability Rights Network to make plain-language, picture-assisted videos about election day and voting with a disability. You can also check out what your ballot will look like so there are no surprises. If you need an ID to vote in your state, VoteRiders can help!
If you are not allowed to vote, fight back! You may not get to vote this year, but if you get involved in changing the laws around guardianship and voting, you can take steps to vote in future elections.
All of our voices need to be heard! Find out whether you’re able to vote and make your plan to vote today. Don’t let having a guardian keep you from using your right to vote!