Disability Voting News: June 3, 2026

Sarah Blahovec

Sarah Blahovec

— 5 min read
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The Accessible Voting Booth: Disability Voting News: June 3, 2026

Happy June! Over the past month, I’ve taken on a few more clients and some of my work with existing clients has ramped up, so I’ve been extremely busy. While this is a welcome development on my end, it means I’ve had less time to work on this newsletter. I hope to keep it going for now, but I may have to pare down the content or change the schedule to monthly, especially in the busy summer and fall months. 

Before we get into this week’s news, I want to share two upcoming events:

June 5: Ramp Your Voice! Conference: Remembrance & Honor: Remembering Who We Are As We Press Forward

I'm thrilled and honored to be collaborating with Vilissa Thompson as a second-time advisor and first-time sponsor (through Landmark Virtual Assistance) of the Ramp Your Voice Conference.

This year's theme is "Remembrance & Honor: Remembering Who We Are As We Press Forward." In a time when our country is doing all it can to further marginalize Black Americans and stifle diversity, it's more important than ever for Black disabled folks to have a space created by themselves, for themselves, where they can commune, celebrate, and uplift each other.

This event is virtual and FREE, this coming Friday, June 5th from 11:30 to 6 PM Eastern. It will have everything from drag performances to yoga to engaging panel discussions from Black disabled leaders and creatives! Captioning and American Sign Language interpretation will be provided. Register for the Ramp Your Voice Conference.

June 11 COSP-19 Side Event: The Role of Nonpartisan Observation in Improving Election Accessibility

On June 11th, 2026 at 10 AM, join The Carter Center and colleagues working on voting rights in the United States and Zambia to learn how organizations of persons with disabilities and civil society groups routinely monitor election accessibility, collect data, and use that data to inform election management bodies and legislators on accessibility barriers to improve the accessibility of elections. I’m so excited to be moderating this panel and hope to see you there! Register for The Role of Nonpartisan Observation in Improving Election Accessibility.

DisAbility Law Center of Virginia Report Finds Ongoing Accessibility Barriers at Virginia Polling Sites (via DisAbility Law Center of Virginia).

On May 19th, the DisAbility Law Center of Virginia released findings of their accessibility audits during the November 2025 General Election. In their audit of 47 polling sites across 17 Virginia cities and counties, they found that while many met basic accessibility standards, there were ongoing barriers to access that needed to be addressed for full accessibility compliance. This is a frustrating but familiar refrain for anyone doing polling place accessibility audits. 

Among their findings: 

  • 16% of locations had unclear or insufficient curbside voting signage, and the same amount did not provide accessible parking closest to the entrance.
  • 7% of polling places did not provide an accessible entrance as the primary entrance for voters, and 11% did not have a smooth and clear pathway to the polling place entrance.
  • Only 79% of poll workers knew how to operate accessible voting equipment and 64% of sites had signage informing voters how to request voting assistance.
  • Volunteers found that multiple polling locations were not in compliance with state and federal accessibility requirements.

dLCV has used this information to create recommendations to the Virginia Department of Elections to improve polling place accessibility. They note that these barriers are not new, and they have been observed over several elections in Virginia:

“Many of the findings and recommendations in this report are not new. dLCV has raised several of these concerns in previous years, and it is concerning that some barriers still persist. We urge the Virginia Department of Elections to continue strengthening accessibility efforts, so every Virginian can vote independently and with dignity.” 

-David Coleman, Director of Development and External Relations at dLCV

The Virginia Department of Elections (ELECT) responded to the report by saying that the report “showed that most of the surveyed locations were accessible, offered curbside voting with no barriers, and had officers of election who were knowledgeable about accessible voting and trained to assist individuals with disabilities.” They said they will share the survey results with Virginia’s general registrars and local electoral boards to individually assess issues among the polling sites that were evaluated. Furthermore, they responded to each of dLCV’s recommendations, explaining how they currently address or plan to address them. 

Maryland Enacts Law to Require Plain Language Summaries for Ballot Measures (via Voting Rights Lab).

On May 12, Maryland enacted legislation that requires plain language summaries for ballot measures and petition signature pages, prohibiting “the use of legal jargon, passive voice, and double negatives.” The state board must also include a brief statement that explains the outcome of each voting choice. 

This is fantastic news, as ballot measures are notoriously complex and inaccessible. Ballotpedia’s 2024 ballot measure readability report analyzed language across 159 ballot measures, finding that the average ballot measure’s language requires a college degree to understand. Meanwhile, 54% of U.S. adults read under a sixth grade level. Even if you do have a college degree, ballot measures can be extremely difficult to understand. Almost every time there is a ballot measure on my ballot, I have to research to ensure I understand exactly what the measure is proposing and what my vote will support or reject. Every Maryland voter will benefit from having plain-language summaries and descriptions of the voting options for ballot measures, and I hope to see this legislation proposed and adopted in other states. 

People with Intellectual Disabilities in Cyprus Demand Equal Access to Voting Rights (via KNews).

During a press conference in Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, the Committee for the Protection of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities and self-advocacy groups shared about the barriers that voters with intellectual disabilities face in Cyprus, offering recommendations for changes that can alleviate these barriers. They raised concerns about a 1996 law that classifies people with intellectual disabilities as incapable, potentially impacting their right to vote, and stressed the importance of ensuring that voting is straightforward and confidential, while allowing for assistance. Their recommendations included:

  • Automatic voter registration to reduce registration barriers
  • All election-related material should be available in plain language
  • Polling places provide clear, easy-to-read instructions
  • Training for polling place staff on how to support voters with disabilities.

While Cyprus and the United States have different voting systems, voters with intellectual disabilities in both countries face similar challenges, including inaccessible and complex voting information, laws that disenfranchise people with voting disabilities, registration hurdles, and poorly trained poll workers.

Ohio Bill Would Reduce Voting Wait Times for Elderly, Disabled (via AOL). 

House Bill 893, introduced May 12, would amend existing state law to require local boards of elections to take steps to reduce wait time for voters who have difficulty standing in line for long periods of time, including voters with disabilities and elderly voters. Each jurisdiction would have to create an accommodation plan that could include measures such as priority waiting lines for voters who need accommodations or designated seating areas for voters who have difficulty standing for long periods. 

The bill has been sent to the House Committee on General Government for consideration. 

That's it for this week's edition of The Accessible Voting Booth! As always, if you’d like to support the newsletter and my work, here’s how:

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