By Lilian Aluri | September 13, 2021
Today marks the first day of the 2021 National Disability Voter Registration Week (September 13-20)! Throughout this week, organizers across the country are hosting voter registration drives, voter education events, and more. The goals of National Disability Voter Registration Week are to increase civic participation in our communities and showcase the power of the disability vote.
At the REV UP Voting Campaign, we recognize that voting connects to every part of our lives. Our votes are powerful as voting is one of the ways we create the world we want to live in. The systems around us, from policing and minimum wage, to healthcare and taxes, are all shaped by our ability to cast a ballot.
We also believe that our democracy will only work for us when our communities have access to the ballot. People with disabilities, people of color, and disabled people of color face compounding barriers to the ballot box that limit our freedom to vote. Our work through REV UP this week and every week centers building our political power as voters with disabilities, advocating for full access to voting both in-person and remotely, and getting our communities actively engaged in the political process.
Here are 5 ways that you can build up the disability vote this week:
1) Register to vote or check your registration. Go to weall.vote/revup and enter your information to begin registering to vote. This link will allow you to check your registration information and go to your state’s official voter registration website. Even if you think you are registered to vote, take a few minutes and check and make sure your information is up to date.
2) Learn more about the disability vote. Register today for the virtual Disability Vote Summit on Tuesday, September 14 from 12-4pm EST, and learn more about how you can get out the disability vote in your community. The Summit will include presentations and panels on voting access, the 2020 elections, and the future of advocacy around the disability vote.
3) Reach out to one person in your life and make sure they are registered to vote. Each of us has relationships in our lives—friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, people we know on social media. Choose one person and ask them when was the last time they updated their voter registration and share this online voter registration link with them: weall.vote/revup.
4) Find out the dates for your upcoming elections. Visit vote411.org and enter your address to learn about upcoming election dates and what will be on the ballot. In 2021, there are thousands of local, state, and tribal positions up for election, and many elections have already taken place. Make sure that you are ready for any elections in your area. Remember every election matters and every year is an election year!
5) Contact your Senators and ask them to protect your freedom to vote. The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. This law would prevent states from trying to pass bills that would make voting inaccessible for certain communities, such as disabled voters and voters of color. Now it is up to the Senate! On Friday of this week, we will be sharing an easy way for you to contact your Senators about access to voting, so follow us on social media and sign up for our emails to receive Friday’s action alert!
Whether you can join us every day or for a few days, we invite you to participate in National Disability Voter Registration Week with these daily civic engagement actions. To learn more about National Disability Voter Registration Week and all of the events and activities this week, check out our website at aapd.com/ndvrw.
Lastly, I will end with this quote from Justin Dart which has become a rallying message for REV UP:
“Vote as if your life depends on it—because it DOES!”
Check out all of the activities taking place this week at aapd.com/ndvrw and…