Madison Reporter

The City Clerk’s Office is celebrating Disability Voting Rights Week by highlighting accessible options for exercising the right to vote.

“It’s important for all residents to feel confident that their voices are heard at the polls,” said Mayor Rhodes-Conway. “Our Clerk’s staff and volunteers work diligently with voters with disabilities to make casting their ballot as easy as possible.”

For those indefinitely confined to their homes due to age or disability, absentee ballots can be requested for all future elections without needing to send a copy of an ID. Requests can be submitted via https://MyVote.wi.gov, email (Voting@cityofmadison.com), or by sending a note to the Clerk’s Office.

Visually impaired voters may request Braille ballots from the Clerk’s Office. Assistance in returning absentee ballots is available, provided the helper is not an employer or labor union representative.

Polling places are required to be accessible, and poll workers use an accessibility checklist on election morning. Curbside voting is available for those unable to enter polling places due to health or mobility issues. Voters can inform poll workers of their need for curbside voting or call the Clerk’s Office at (608) 266-4601.

If a voter cannot state their name and address, they may choose someone else to do so on their behalf. Those unable to sign the poll book due to a disability will be exempt from this requirement. Magnifying sheets, signature guides, and extra seating are available at every polling place.

Each polling place has an ExpressVote ballot marking device that offers large print, high contrast, headphones, and compatibility with sip & puff devices. Voters can double-check selections before printing their ballot card and feed it back into the machine for verification.

Voters may also request assistance in marking their ballots from someone who is not their employer or labor union representative; this person does not need to be eligible to vote but must sign the ballot along with providing their name and address.

The City Clerk’s Office aims for each eligible voter to cast a ballot and have it counted accurately.