National Disability Voter Registration Week
July 13-17, 2020
#MEAction is excited to participate in National Disability Voter Registration Week! Let’s get people with ME and all people with disabilities registered to vote, educated about this year’s election, and prepared to cast our ballots!
We have gathered resources to help make it as simple as possible as we know that your energy and cognitive exertion is precious! We are excited to share resources from the REV UP campaign as well as others we think will be useful to our community. The REV UP Campaign, launched by the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) in 2016, is a nonpartisan initiative that is composed of state and national coalitions that work to advance the Disability Vote. REV UP’s mission is to foster civic engagement and protect the voting rights of Americans with disabilities. REV UP stands for Register! Educate! Vote! Use your Power!
“In 2020, over 35 million eligible voters will be people with disabilities, according to Rutgers University. That figure jumps to over 62 million eligible voters when you count family members in the same household. Unfortunately, only 16 million people with disabilities voted in the November 2016 elections, a turnout rate 6% lower than that of people without disabilities (Lisa Schur and Douglas Kruse, Rutgers University). The power of the disability vote has the potential to ensure that all candidates address issues that are important to people with disabilities. NDVRW mobilizes and demonstrates the power of the disability vote!” (from this document).
No one knows better than the advocates and activists in our community how important it is that officials at all government levels are willing to listen to our concerns and take action. Who we vote for now is who we will be turning to in the future to make sure people with ME are heard and to help advance our revolution in ME care. Voting is critical to the movement! Let’s get our community ready to vote!
What can you do to participate?
1. Register to Vote! We know it can be confusing as each state has its own rules and with the pandemic some states are offering alternatives that are not usually available. When We All Vote has set up a custom Voter Registration Portal for the REV UP network. Just enter your info and it will walk you through the process. Go here: weall.vote/aapdrevup.
2. Encourage others to register! Share this important information with all your fellow people with ME/chronic illness/disabilities to register now! All week we will be sharing on social so follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
3. Make your plan to vote this year! This week is a great time to check on your state’s requirements for the method of voting most accessible to you. This year more than ever voting at the polls on election day will pose hardships for our community. Prepare now to vote by mail or vote early if that is not an option. Some states offer all mail-in voting.
Other states have eased requirements for absentee ballots. If you need to vote in person, check the early voting dates and mark them in your calendar. Find everything you need to know about voting in your state here: https://www.nonprofitvote.org/voting-in-your-state/
4. Educate yourself on the upcoming elections. Pay attention to local and state as well as national. Who is running? What are their platforms? Think of the issues important to you and see if they have addressed them. If not, ask them.
