Accessible Voting in Vermont
For the Tuesday, November 8, 2022 General Election in Vermont
- Same day voter registration is available.
- All registered voters are mailed a ballot.
- Early voting locations are open before Election Day
- Check to see if an accessible vote-by-mail system is available.
Accessible Voting Tips
As a voter with a disability, you have a right to vote privately and independently, at an accessible voting location, on an accessible voting system.
If you need more information or assistance using your right to vote, these organizations can help
- Visit your state Accessibility page or call (802) 828-2464 for the options available in your state.
- Contact your local election office for help voting and details about local support for accessible voting.
- Your local Center for Independent Living has information and other support.
- Call your state National Disability Rights Network (NRDN) Protection & Advocacy office if someone is interfering with your right to vote.
- If you are a first-time voter or moved recently, check the voter ID requirements in your state. VoteRiders has information about the types of identification accepted.
- You can also call 1-800-OUR-VOTE to report any problems voting.
Your rights
As a voter with a disability, you have a right to:
- Vote privately and independently
- At an accessible polling place
- Using an accessible voting system
If you need assistance you can:
- Ask an election worker, or
- Bring someone to help you
You may request your local election officials to tell you about any voting aids, voting assistance, and absentee ballot procedures that are available.
Election officials must make any reasonable accommodations you need to vote. This might include
- A place to sit if you have trouble standing
- A quiet, private place to vote
You cannot be refused the right to vote because an election worker thinks your disability means you are not qualified to vote.
Open the sections on this page to learn more about accessible options for early voting, voting in person on election day, and voting by mail.
Accessible voting features in Vermont for voters with disabilities
- Sign up each year to receive a ballot by mail for all elections
- Check with your local election office to see if an accessible vote-by-mail system is available
Ask your local election office about other support for accessible voting, like:
- Election and voting information in large print, audio, or Braille versions.
- Curbside or drive-up voting, so you don’t have to get out of your car.
- Ballot delivery to your home or a “ride to the polls” program.
- An opportunity to practice using the accessible voting system.
- Emergency voting options if you are hospitalized or ill.
- How to get assistance in marking and casting your ballot.
- Other services or assistance for voters with disabilities.
Learn more about the laws that protect your rights
Early voting is voting in person before Election Day, which is usually less crowded than going to vote on Election Day itself. There are different kinds of early voting, so check the options available for you. They might include:
- vote centers where you can vote at any location in your jurisdiction
- super polling places where you are assigned a location
- voting at an elections office or satellite office
- in-person absentee, where you go to an elections office, get your mail ballot, and then mark and cast it in the office.
September 24 through November 7, early voting is available at your town clerk's office.
Early voting hours and locations can vary. Check with your local elections office.
- Same-day registration is available at designated early voting locations.
Find an early voting center near you.
When you vote in person on Election Day, you go to a voting center to mark and cast your ballot in person. Every in-person voting location is required to have accessible voting systems available.
Polling locations are open until 7:00 pm. Opening times vary by location.
- Same-day registration is available at designated Election Day locations.
You can drop off your mail ballot at your local elections office on Election Day.
Find your polling place.
Accessible voting systems for in-person voting
The accessible voting systems used in Vermont are shown below. Contact your local election office for more information or a change to practice using the system you will vote on.
Democracy Live OmniBallot Tablet
A ballot marking system.
It has a touch screen, audio, and tactile controls.
The printed ballot is a facsimile of a hand-marked paper ballot.
Ballots are cast at a scanner.
Learn more about using the OmniBallot Tablet
- News report from Minnesota about the OmniBallot with demonstrations (YouTube 2:53 no captions)
- OmniBallot information for poll workers (YouTube 13:08 no captions)
|
Voting by mail can be an accessible option for voters with disabilities. It lets you vote at home, so you can mark, verify and return a paper ballot privately and independently. Some states have emergency options if you are hospitalized or ill. |
Deadline to return your ballot:
Received by the close of polls on Election Day, November 8 for mailed ballots.
Delivered by the day before Election Day, November 7 for hand-delivered ballots.
How to get your ballot
- All active voters are mailed a ballot.
How to return your ballot
By mail
At your local elections office
At a voting location on Election Day
Find a ballot drop-off location near you at your local elections website.
Make sure your ballot counts! Remember...
Make sure your ballot is sealed in the envelope.
Sign the form on the envelope.
Put enough postage on the envelope.
Return your ballot promptly. Postmarks don't count.
If you drop off your ballot, you must do so by the day before Election Day.
- Voters with disabilities can appoint someone to return their ballot for them. Contact your local elections office for more information.
- If someone helped you, have them complete the form for assistants.
Learn about accessible voting by mail options in the next card.
Accessible voting by mail allows voters with disabilities to mark a mail-in ballot electronically, using their own technology and assistive tools.
To use accessible tools for voting by mail, typically voters:
- Download an electronic ballot to mark using personal technology
- Print the ballot and any signature form
- Seal the ballot in an envelope
- Return it by mail or to a ballot drop off locatoin
Some states allow electronic return by email, fax, or a secure portal.
There is no statewide accessible vote by mail program in Vermont
Voters with disabilities can use the accessible vote at home system.
Sign on at the My Voter Page and select the online absentee ballot requisition.
Use the ballot marking program to make your selections on your own computer. It is compatible with MacOS and Windows screen readers.
Deadline to return your ballot:
Received by the close of polls on Election Day, November 8 for mailed ballots.
Delivered by the day before Election Day, November 7 for hand-delivered ballots.
Returning a printed ballot
- Print your completed ballot and certificate
- Seal your ballot in an envelope
- Sign the certificate and attach it to the outside of the ballot envelope with tape or glue
- Put the ballot envelope and certificate into an envelope to return
You can return your ballot:
- By mail
- At your local election office
- At a voting location on Election Day
The systems in use in Vermont for accessible voting by mail are:
DemocracyLive OmniBallot Portal
Accessible system for voting by mail.
Delivers and returns ballot through a secure online portal.
Creates a paper facsimile of a hand-marked paper ballot for tabulation.
Voters have the option to print and mail their ballot.
Claims WCAG 2.0 Level AA accessibility.
Learn more about using Omni Ballot
- Democracy Live Website
- Short tutorial from Democracy Live (YouTube :30)
- Electronic return process from Democracy Live (YouTube 11:28)
Learn more about accessible voting options in Vermont