Voting Resources: Vote by Mail Rules by State and More

As stated by U.S. Elections Assistance Commissioner Donald Palmer in this resource by Axios, “This election year, voters need to take more time and effort to navigate the challenges of a pandemic”. ANCOR, through its member-led Grassroots Work Group, is currently preparing resources to assist providers in explaining the importance of the vote to individuals supported and their families, as well as to Direct Support Professionals. Stay tuned for the release of these resources in the near future.

In the meantime, the Axios resource linked above lists how to request absentee ballots in each state, as well as request deadlines, ballot mailing deadlines and early in-person voting dates. Additionally:

• The Can I Vote website prepared by the National Association of Secretaries of State (the officials who oversee elections) explains how to register to vote in every state, in addition to how to vote absentee. Similar information is available through Rock the Vote.
  • Note: not every state will allow you to drop off an absentee ballot in-person – they might require you to fill out a provisional ballot if you do so, so if you are worried about mail delays please call ahead to see what the rules are in your state.
• The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) has prepared plain-language voting resources as part of its REV UP campaign. ANCOR is a proud supporter of the REV UP campaign.
• The League of Women Voters sends questionnaires to candidates running for office at all levels of government, which includes school board members. Candidates’ answers are available on their Vote 411 website and are an excellent way to learn more about the candidates if you cannot attend their events.