Disability and Progress- September 19, 2024- Voting!

[00:00:00] Speaker A: KPI.org. and greetings. Thank you for joining disability and progress, where we bring you insights into to ideas about end discussions on disability topics. Thanks so much for joining us. And tonight we have a lot going on. First of all, let's just get it out of the way here. Pledge, pledge, pledge, pledge, pledge, please. 612-375-9030 or kfai.org. charlene Dahl is my research pr person. Hello, Charlene. [00:01:28] Speaker B: Good evening, everyone. [00:01:30] Speaker A: Erin is my podcaster trustee. Erin. Thank you, Erin. We are going to have a very important night tonight talking about vote, vote, voting, voting, voting, voting. And we are speaking with several people. First of all, we are speaking with Michael Walls. Hello, Michael. [00:01:52] Speaker C: Good afternoon. [00:01:53] Speaker A: Michael is the outreach person for the outreach voting person for the secretary of state for Minnesota. And we also have Scott Carolytis. Did I. I'm gonna butcher that. I'm sorry, Scott. [00:02:09] Speaker B: Good enough. Thank you. Good afternoon. How. [00:02:12] Speaker A: Pronounce it for me. [00:02:14] Speaker B: Carlides. [00:02:15] Speaker A: Carlides. Whoa. I was so far off. I'm so sorry. Scott is the YAIs director of government relations from New York. And also Kevin Francis. I think I got that one right. Kevin, did I get that right? You might be muted. I'm not hearing you, Kevin, but hopefully I got that right. Kevin is a self advocate. [00:02:46] Speaker D: Yes, you do. [00:02:47] Speaker A: Oh, thank you, Kevin. Thank you so much. One good, simple name that I can certainly pronounce. So we're going to be talking a lot about a lot of different things. Feel free to share experiences and things like that. Voting is coming up really quickly, so I want people to know how it works, what to do, and there's so many different facets of it. So can we start out, I think, by talking about, and I'd like you to share, Scott and Michael both. I think about registration because I know, Scott, you're in New York and Michael's here. So there's two different perspectives, and I don't know how different they will be. But can we talk about registering? Registrating registering. Oh my God. For voting and how it's done and how do people know that they're registered? You know, what do you do? So who wants to jump in on that one first? [00:03:53] Speaker C: Scott, I'm the home person here in Minnesota, so I'm going to allow you to go first. [00:03:59] Speaker B: Oh, thank you, Michael. I appreciate it. Well, I'll just say in advance, I did a lot of research on Minnesota voting rules. I'm very happy you're here, Michael, so I don't have to take on that. [00:04:12] Speaker A: I got him last minute. [00:04:15] Speaker B: I learned a lot. And I have to say, I'm very jealous. So registering to vote varies state to state? [00:04:22] Speaker A: Yes. [00:04:23] Speaker B: Every state will have different rules and laws around, in fact, the entire voting process. There's some stuff that's federally controlled and mandated, and we'll talk about that, especially when we get into accessibility. A lot of this stuff flows down from the Americans with Disabilities act and multiple laws after that in terms of voting rights. But just to talk specifically about New York, in New York, you have to register to vote fairly in advance of the election. How far? Well, this month for this year, for example, the election day is November 5, and so you have to register to vote by October 26. [00:05:02] Speaker A: Wow. Okay. [00:05:03] Speaker B: It's about a couple of weeks. Whereas in Minnesota, you can register day. [00:05:07] Speaker C: Of, day of, on game day, as secretary Simon likes to say. I don't know. [00:05:13] Speaker B: Very honest, Scott. [00:05:15] Speaker C: I don't know if we want to kind of ping pong back and forth as we talk about deadlines. We can both talk about deadlines. And are you okay with that? [00:05:25] Speaker B: Yeah, please go ahead. [00:05:26] Speaker C: So in Minnesota, yes, we have election day registration, which means you are never shut out of voting because you didn't register or because you moved last week or today on if it was election day. The only restrictions we have are around when you register before election and when it turns into the need for election day registration. So if you register by October 15 online or by submitting a form, okay, you don't have to bring anything to the polling place. In Minnesota, you don't need to bring identification because you've already proven who you are and where you live. After that, whether you vote early in person, early by mail, or on election day, you do have to bring documentation if you need to register when you vote, you have to bring documentation that proves who you are and where you live. And we have a whole series of, of methods that you can use to prove who you are and where you live. [00:06:40] Speaker A: And so, Scott, how does this work in New York, then? [00:06:44] Speaker B: You can register to vote online, which I think is almost every single state, if not every single state in the country, has some form of online voter registration. Now, you can also register to vote via mail. You can request a form from the secretary of state here, or if you go to the DMV or a few other state agencies, you can get a physical form at the DMV, for example, department of Motor Vehicles. You can hand that in in person. There's a few agencies that accept the form in person. But if you request a form and you have something mailed to you, then you mail that back in. And of course, both the online registration deadline is October 26, and all of the other registration deadlines are same day. So if you are registering to vote by mail, you have to have that received by October 26, not postmarked, not mailed in at that time. It must be received by the election office by October 26. So you have to mail that in earlier. [00:07:46] Speaker A: So let's talk a little bit more about this, because when you register, if you're registering online, you obviously have to have some things to prove, as you say, who you are. How does that work? What do you have to have, and. [00:08:01] Speaker C: How do you submit that in Minnesota? And I do want to mention that an additional method we have for voter registration now in Minnesota, with a recent change in the law, is what's called automatic voter registration, where if you are applying for a driver's license, a learner's permit, or a Minnesota state id, it will automatically place you into the registration queue, into that process. If you have presented as a part of your applying for one of those ids, if you have presented proof of citizenship, that's the only time that proof of citizenship is an integral part of registration in Minnesota. But when you apply for one of those, if your documentation to get your license or your state id, et cetera, includes something that proves your citizenship, then you automatically go into the process of registration. So for online registration here in Minnesota, the only difference between that and a paper registration form is that you have to also supply an email address. Other than that, the questions are exactly the same. And it comes down to, and I could go through the five online pages because I do this for young people all the time. But it comes down to eligibility. Your identity, which in addition to your name and birth date, also includes either one of those Minnesota state id numbers or a Social Security, the last four digits of your Social Security number, that's who you are, and then your address, and then you confirm that everything that the system has is correct. And then you sign an oath, basically saying that you attest that all of these things are true, and you understand that lying on the form is a felony. [00:10:13] Speaker A: And so what happens in New York, Scott, is this basically the same thing in New York? [00:10:19] Speaker B: I wish. I hope everyone listening feels really good about Minnesota voting laws. You should. You guys have it really great over there. And I hope hearing about New York makes you very proud of being a minnesotan. Minnesota is one of about eight states that has full front end, back end automatic voter registration in New York. We passed a law in 2020 to do automatic voter registration, and it has still not yet been fully implemented across the state. Yeah. So it's been a bit of a struggle. We have some level of if, for example, you get a driver's license, there is an option to register to vote there. And that's been usually the biggest place where most people register to vote. But as you may imagine in New York, not everyone drives. Not every resident of New York City has a driver's license. [00:11:14] Speaker A: Right. [00:11:15] Speaker B: So it hasn't been as widespread. You can, of course, register online, like we mentioned earlier, and it's very similar in terms of the questions and the information that you have to fill out as Michael was referencing earlier. You need some form of state id, usually comes with an id number, and that helps identify you as the person that you say that you are, the address that you're claiming, and of course, that citizenship information. And similarly, you'll fill out that same information and those questions if you're registering with that paper form. [00:11:47] Speaker A: So, Kevin, I want to ask you, when you do you remember registering to vote? And if you do, how did you do it? [00:11:56] Speaker D: I did it with my family. [00:11:57] Speaker A: Okay, so they helped you register? [00:12:01] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:12:02] Speaker A: Excellent. So what if Scott or, you know, Michael, what? What if you don't remember if you've registered? How do you know if you are registered? Can you check if you're registered? And because you mean I don't know people. You know, I think sometimes people totally forget about registration. They just think, I'm going to go vote. So can you check to know that you're registered so you don't have trouble if you walk up to the polling place and say, can I have my ballot, please? [00:12:36] Speaker C: In Minnesota, we have tools on our website which I will pitch mnvotes, dot gov dot. We have tools. Not only can you check your registration and it will tell you if you're registered and if you are a permanent absentee voter list participant. That's a new thing that if you want your ballot mailed to you for every election, there's now a list that you can sign up for. We also have a tool where you can track your absentee ballot. So if you do get your ballot mailed to you, you can put in your information into that tool, and it will tell you if your request for an absentee ballot has been received, the date they mailed it to you, the date it was received back at the county, and the date that it was counted, that it was placed in the tabulator. [00:13:35] Speaker A: And Scott for New York, similarly, you. [00:13:39] Speaker B: Can check your registration online and I'll say depending on, you know, I imagine most folks who are listening are in Minnesota, but there is a nonprofit organization that I want to do a quick shout out for because they have a really simple website, it's called vote.org. and they'll have links for doing all of this stuff online in every single state in the United States. [00:14:02] Speaker A: I was just going to ask, how can people, where can they go if they want to? Yes. So, and do they have like instructions and what to do and things like that? [00:14:13] Speaker B: If you go to vote.org, comma, there's a quick landing page and they include things for check your registration, register to vote vote by mail, see what's on your ballot, get election reminders or pledge to register. And if you click on any of those, they have their own infrastructure set up for it. But you can scroll down and they'll have a link specific to your state. So every single state, no matter where you live in the United States, because all of this stuff is state by state, you'll be able to find the information. [00:14:41] Speaker A: Yes, it is. It's unfortunate. Why is it that we aren't a one fits all, basically? I mean, why is there so much difference in different states? I mean, let's, and while I'm in this, I'm just going to say I think it's, I may spout the wrong number, but I think it's about 13 states that you can actually vote online. And I am amazed that I'm looking at you, Michael, why don't we have this? [00:15:17] Speaker C: I have an answer for that. [00:15:20] Speaker A: But first, let's answer why it's so different between every state, because I think that's really confusing. [00:15:26] Speaker C: I can tell you, as a former social studies teacher that the answer is federalism, that the constitution of the United States sets up responsibilities for the federal government. And then there is a clause that says anything else is the state's job. It's their responsibility and their right to decide. So the specifics of voting, there may be things like the Americans with Disabilities act that blankets the United States and makes requirements, but when there are nothing federal requirements or a federal system or agency, than it falls to the states. And while it would be perhaps simpler if all states did it the same, and Scott, this is not throwing you under the bus, but if you had to choose between each state doing their own and every state doing it exactly the way New York does, then you would lose election day registration. So it is more challenging to know state to state, but each state's secretary of state's office does a really nice job in letting people know what their rights and opportunities are in that state. [00:16:49] Speaker A: So you could go to your secretary of state as well and ask them questions. [00:16:56] Speaker C: 100%. [00:16:57] Speaker A: I do like the vote dot. I do like that for going online. [00:17:03] Speaker C: But, and as Scott said, it will direct you back to the specific place on your state's website. So it is a nice clearinghouse, but it still, for Minnesota will lead you back. And at some point, Sam, I would love to give a phone number for voters who have questions, because we have a hotline that is Monday through Friday, nine to four, but we get questions of all types about voting, how to, where do I vote on election day? How do I get an absentee ballot? And on and on. [00:17:43] Speaker A: Let's. Scott, would you happen to have one of those, too? Do you have one? [00:17:47] Speaker B: You know what's so funny? I looked up the Minnesota information to prepare for this, but I will take a look. New York doesn't have, so, you know, Michael, you didn't throw me under the bus. If I could choose every state have the same regulations, I would be choosing the Minnesota ones, not the New York state ones, I promise. I'm not proud of what we have here yet, but it's a work in progress and we're working on changing things to make it far easier for all people to vote, including people with disabilities. But one other, maybe I'm bashing New York too much here, but Minnesota also has the council on Disability, which is a state agency and handles a lot of this, or overseas, and I shouldn't say overseas, supports a lot of voting rights for people with disabilities. We don't have something similar like that in New York. We have a few state agencies that support people with disabilities and work, and for the most part, they don't provide a ton of information or support on this sort of thing. We do, of course, have a know your rights disability rights organization with a phone number that I can provide, but it's not the same as a hotline. There's a secretary of state hotline, though, that I can look up in one moment. [00:19:08] Speaker A: Okay. While you're doing that, Michael, go ahead and I'll probably have you do it a couple times, but go ahead and give the number for the hotline here. [00:19:16] Speaker C: So, people, wonderful. It is 651-215-1440 can you give that once more? I would love to. 651-215-1440 and then, Scott, did you find it? [00:19:41] Speaker B: Yes. [00:19:41] Speaker A: Okay. [00:19:42] Speaker B: We have. And as it's federated at the national level, so too are all of these things federated at the state level. But we have an office of the Attorney General election Protection hotline that will both answer your voting questions and support you if there's a complaint or an issue at your polling place. And that is 866-390-2992 can you do it again? [00:20:09] Speaker A: Yep. [00:20:09] Speaker B: Yes. 866-390-2992 and for anybody in other states. [00:20:19] Speaker A: Because this really is a global show, please reach out to either, it sounds like vote dot gov can do it or vote dot gov is a place. I think it is. [email protected]. as well and or your secretary of state. And I'm sure they can answer your questions because we can't cover every state. Do want to touch again? Because I was horribly envious in regards to the people who can vote online. Why don't we have that for us? [00:20:51] Speaker C: And Secretary Simon has asked this. Steve Simon is our secretary of state here in Minnesota, but he has asked this, and the answer is really quite simple, that we do not feel that the technology is there to assure everyone's vote is private and secure. [00:21:14] Speaker A: And is that true? I mean, there's 13 or so other states doing this. So what are you saying? Do they not have a private and secure vote voting system? [00:21:26] Speaker C: We don't know the specifics of the voting systems in other states, but what's clear is that with the federalist model we were talking about, that our concern is that we feel comfortable and secure. So right now, everyone votes with a paper ballot, and we'll talk about accessible absentee voting in a bit. And we can also talk about the ability for people who are deployed in the military or living overseas. [00:22:00] Speaker A: We only have an hour, and I think you don't even have that. [00:22:04] Speaker C: But those people, even the people who can get an email of their ballot, must print it out and mail it back. So we are paper ballots, 100%. [00:22:19] Speaker A: So I'd like to briefly talk about some barriers, because there are definite barriers to people with disabilities that they face when they're trying to vote. Scott, do you want to start a little bit with that? [00:22:33] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm happy to. And to be clear, there's lots of different kinds of disabilities. And so that means there's lots of different kinds of barriers. I think for the most basic level, making sure you're registered to vote and making sure you have the information, you have the ability to do that, whether it's online or in person. I think a lot of people with disabilities, for example, intellectual or developmental disabilities, like the folks that we support, or people with physical, maybe if you don't drive, and you never go to get your driver's license. You will have never encountered that automatic voter registration here in New York, for example. And so you have to take that extra step to seek out registering to vote, whether it's online or an in person form. And that's already one barrier. Another, if you are registered to vote and you're prepared to vote, it's possible that on election day, you are feeling sick, you're incapable to go to the polls for whatever reason, or you're not able to make it on time. It's obviously more likely to happen for folks with disabilities, and that can be a barrier if you have not already made a plan. There's a few accommodations for all of these things that I can talk about later, too, but I'll just talk about the barriers here. Let's say you are able to go, you have to drive there, and you find that it's really difficult to find parking, accessible parking, especially in a presidential election where tons of people are out to vote. And especially if you are in a competitive state, you will find that it's really hard to park nearby, or you'll have to wait really long in line. And maybe you have trouble standing and waiting for really long periods of time. Maybe it's extremely cold, or maybe even it's very hot, depending where you live that time of year. It might be that there are physical barriers in the polling place that make it difficult for you to walk around to maneuver. Maybe that you have some form of visual impairment or you have difficulty using some parts of your body. And so sometimes they provide voting machines that help you, assist you in marking your ballot without your own ability to use the pen, for example. Or entrances. There may be stairs. They may not have ramps for you. They're supposed to have ramps, I should say. But these are all examples of barriers to being able to go and vote. [00:24:46] Speaker A: Kevin, I just want to check with you. Do you vote early, or do you vote on election day? [00:24:53] Speaker D: Um, doesn't matter. I go with my staff sometimes, or I go myself. [00:25:03] Speaker A: And do you generally. Do you know. I mean, do you generally go on election day? There's an option to vote early in New York, right? [00:25:14] Speaker D: Yeah, it is. [00:25:17] Speaker A: But it's not a big deal for you. [00:25:19] Speaker D: Not a big deal. [00:25:20] Speaker A: Okay, good. I'm glad. And you are voting this year, right? [00:25:24] Speaker D: Yes, I am. [00:25:25] Speaker A: Oh, good. Good man. [00:25:26] Speaker B: Good day. [00:25:27] Speaker C: Excellent. [00:25:29] Speaker A: Mike, since we're on this barrier thing, I'd like to talk about transportation, because that is a real barrier. Transportation, to me, is all across the board. It doesn't matter what kind of disability you have, that everyone who is going to go to the polls needs to get there somehow. So what are our options in Minnesota? [00:25:55] Speaker C: You are quite right, Sam, that transportation can be a barrier for people, because there isn't a system that guarantees transportation for anyone to do anything, even with Metro mobility, that scheduling, it has to be a certain number of days. And then you, I mean, I don't have to tell people who use it, but you have to wait for it to arrive. You're hoping that it's going to arrive on time. And when are you going to be able to get a ride back from the polling place because you're not sure how long the line is, etcetera, etcetera. There are options that, unfortunately, and this is a part of the, I would say, dealing with the barriers in Minnesota to voting for people with disabilities or differently abled in a series of different ways. But transportation has been approached in a few different ways. One is that there are some nonprofits who specifically work at offering their clients where there's a previous relationship, rides to the polls because they know that it might be a particular challenge. There are companies who have offered a different types of discounts, Uber, Lyft, et cetera. Some years they've done 50% off. Some years they've said it's free to get to the polls, and then you can either get a ride with somebody else or pay for the Uber on the way back. So ostensibly 50% off. There was a year where Metro Transit, and I want to say it was no, 2000. I'm not remembering the year, but one year metro transit was free on election day. [00:28:05] Speaker A: Wow. [00:28:06] Speaker C: Every election year I call to find out if they're going to do it again. [00:28:11] Speaker A: Nope. [00:28:12] Speaker C: No, not this year. But the issue is purely financial, so people should talk to their state representatives about the funding for free rides on election day. I think that would be advantageous. And then there have been, here in Minnesota, different nonprofits who have attempted, and I'll say attempted because I don't think it works very well, but have attempted to offer rides to anyone with no prior relationship. And of course, the issue there is that you don't know the people who are offering the ride and you don't know the people you're offering the ride to. [00:28:56] Speaker A: Right. [00:28:58] Speaker C: And that just unfortunately, in 2024, and our culture isn't necessarily safe for everyone. So one of the accommodations is voting at home. It does offer people the opportunity to order that ballot mailed to them and then attempt to make a plan to go to the polling place on election day or to vote early in person, which you can do 46 days. Election day in Minnesota is the last of 46 voting days. [00:29:34] Speaker A: So starting tomorrow. [00:29:36] Speaker C: Starting tomorrow, exactly. [00:29:38] Speaker A: I'm voting early, by the way. [00:29:39] Speaker C: Me, too. [00:29:42] Speaker A: Scott, how does this work in New York? Do you have any transportation that people can get? They need it. [00:29:51] Speaker B: It's essentially the same as Michael described in terms of there's no public service where transportation is formally offered to people who might need it in order to get to the polls. The accommodation in terms of transportation that the state does essentially is the absentee ballot option. And, of course, early voting. If you struggle with getting transportation, the state expects you to be able to use one of those two ways of voting to get around that. So you don't have to worry necessarily around the specifics of election day. But if you're like me, you may not early vote. Not because I choose not to, but, you know, I forget or I say, I'll do that tomorrow. And then tomorrow comes around, and that keeps happening. And we do not have 46 days to vote here in New York. Unfortunately, we've got a, I think a little bit under two weeks. [00:30:48] Speaker A: Okay. [00:30:49] Speaker B: So. [00:30:49] Speaker A: But still, at least you have more time than just the very day. [00:30:54] Speaker B: Yes, there are. There may still. I don't actually 100% know, but there may still be some states that don't even have early voting. But one thing that we are pushing for here in New York state that you do have in Minnesota, and it's actually a change that we may be hoping to win next year at the state level is something called agent delivery. And this is important because. So, for example, folks, yai, we run a lot of group homes where people with disabilities live and receive support full time from direct support professionals. And agent delivery is this option for you to complete an absentee ballot application at home and with very specific circumstances if you're unable to go to the polls to deliver it yourself, and it's, for example, too late for you to mail it in because it needs to be received by election day. If you happen to live in a nursing home, assisted living facility, residential treatment center, group home, or battered women's shelter, and there's a couple of other things that you need to qualify under for this to happen. You can designate an agent, and there's a form to do this who can then deliver your absentee ballot on your behalf. We don't have this in New York yet, but it's something we're looking to move next year because that's another way for, let's say you can't get to the polls, it's too late, or you need assistance in delivering and can't even get assistance at the polling place, you need to get this done under a deadline. It's a really great option for people who may not be able to leave their homes to have someone else deliver the ballot for them. [00:32:34] Speaker A: And what are the qualifications for being an agent? Can anyone be your agent? [00:32:39] Speaker C: Do you get to pick that in Minnesota? You do, and it's a little different than what Scott is describing. If you request an absentee ballot through the regular process, you can ask someone to drop it off for you. And that person is not considered an agent. They are just dropping off your absentee ballot. They do need to sign and show an id, and they can do it for up to three people during the course of the election. Our agent delivery system is not only you can't get out and get your ballot there, but you haven't gotten a ballot. So our agent delivery system in Minnesota allows someone to fill out that form along with the absentee ballot form. The agent brings both forms along with their id to the county elections office, is able to pick up the person's, the voters ballot, bring it back to them. The person votes in privacy, puts it in a privacy envelope, gives it back, and then that agent brings it back to the county. So it's one more step where you can actually get your ballot brought to you if you cannot get out of your home and it's too late for you to get the ballot any other way. [00:34:03] Speaker A: Okay, hold on. I got questions. So is the agent actually saying, I'm picking up Charlene Dahl's ballot, so you know that that's coming back and that's that she knows it's going to be delivered and nothing. Oops. [00:34:22] Speaker C: Yes. Charlene fills out two forms. One is the absentee ballot request form, but the other is the agent delivery form that says that Michael Wall is going to be my agent, going to pick up my ballot, bring it back to me, and then bring it back by 08:00 p.m. on election day to be counted. So it's sort of the contract agreement, if you will. [00:34:48] Speaker A: Can they bring it back earlier than election day? [00:34:51] Speaker C: Oh, certainly. But generally there isn't a need for agent delivery if you're far enough out, because they can mail you your absentee ballot if you need one. So agent delivery is generally for that last minute need, but then you hope. [00:35:10] Speaker A: That your absentee ballot is going to be mailed back in a good amount of time, because I would not, if it was just a week away, I would never trust, sorry, post office, but I would never put my ballot in a mailbox to be hopefully get there in a week because I imagine a lot of people are gonna be doing this. [00:35:35] Speaker C: And it's actually the one week mark that Minnesota's agent delivery starts. [00:35:40] Speaker A: Aha. And so why can they only do three? [00:35:46] Speaker C: There is concern by some, and I don't know that this is where the legislature got it from, but you may have read or heard over the years about concerns about ballot harvesting, people going around and saying, oh, you should vote for these people and I'll bring your ballot back for you. [00:36:05] Speaker A: Ah. [00:36:06] Speaker C: So the, it isn't the default, the norm, it's if you need it. So that person, rather than saying, well, I'm gonna pick up 50 or 100 ballots for people, it perhaps looks a little suspect, but that's what the legislation, what the statutes say is three. [00:36:28] Speaker A: Okay, I'm gonna lose you in just a little bit. So I wanna quickly talk about accessible voting machines. What are they, how do they work? Can you give me a quick answer basically? [00:36:41] Speaker C: Sure. Do you want to start with Scott, and what exists in New York? [00:36:45] Speaker A: I mean, I, Scott, talk to me about. And I'm presuming that the accessible machines are not necessarily that are in New York and not necessarily the ones in Minnesota. [00:36:58] Speaker B: Some of them are similar. We do have a few ballot marking devices, but essentially. So a great example is the heart verity machine that I think is most commonly used for a lot of people with disabilities in New York. And it's got a couple of different interfaces. So if you are incapable of marking the ballot on your own, and by the way, you are in New York and Minnesota, and I assume most states allowed to bring someone with you and they don't have to be specific person, you know, it can be a friend, it doesn't have to be a legal guardian or a staff member, but you're allowed to bring anyone with you who can assist you with voting and can talk to the folks at the polling site and explain, this person is here to assist me with voting. They're not allowed to tell you how to vote. They are not allowed to mark your ballot, you know, for you in New York, they're not allowed to do that. [00:37:55] Speaker C: They are in Minnesota. Oh, that's an interesting distinction, that the restriction in Minnesota is that the person assisting you by your choice can do anything except tell you who to vote for. [00:38:12] Speaker A: How do you know they're not doing that though? If they're marking your ballot? [00:38:16] Speaker C: Well, it's a great question. I would hope that if you are, because there are two different rights in Minnesota under the law for an assistant to somebody helping you. One is election judges and hopefully those election judges. Well, there isn't even hope there because when election judges come to the voting booth to help a voter, it has to be two different election judges from two different major political parties who do it. So they watch each other. And if you bring someone with you, a friend, a family member, whoever it is, an aide, hopefully it's someone you trust. There is, of course, no one in that voting booth with you and the person helping you. [00:39:03] Speaker A: Right. [00:39:04] Speaker C: So unfortunately, it doesn't work that way, where someone will check over your ballot for you to make sure it's who you wanted to vote for because you're the one who chose the assistant to come with you to the polling place real quick. [00:39:21] Speaker A: I'm guessing that I get told each time I come in and use an accessible voting machine that the people are trained, but I have seen a little less than I'd hoped for. There's not a guarantee that they get trained, is it? [00:39:41] Speaker C: They are supposed to get trained. It is a part of the law. There will be someone in every polling place who is experienced. So that head election judge, the assistant head of election judge, these people have been doing this for years because you can't just stroll in and apply for head election judge. You have to have that experience. And election judges are hired by the county or the city. So it is true that there certainly are election judges who get a minimal introduction. And I recall when I was an election judge, when I was not working for the secretary of state's office, you had the opportunity after the two hour training to go and see how the ballot marking machine worked. But it wasn't a matter of a couple of hours of training on the machine. It was more see how this works. They can mark using touching the, the pad. There's a braille pad. You can do puff and sip. So they go through the alternatives and the accommodations. But in my experience, at least I didn't get any sort of extensive training. [00:41:03] Speaker A: And Scott, how does this work in New York? [00:41:08] Speaker B: There are requirements for training for these ballot machines. But I will say that I share your concern. I've been with a couple of folks who requested to use them, and a lot of the staff on site weren't completely familiar. And in some cases, I was showing people how to use them because I had gone with the intention to make sure people could use them. But to describe the ballot machines, because I'm not sure if we did very briefly. They're essentially machines with a variety of ways to help you mark a vote. If, for example, you don't have a lot of hand dexterity, there's a couple of different devices, even like what they call, like a puff and sip to help use your mouth to maneuver something for marking the ballot. There's changes in whether, how big the text is and the images are, and there's some physical interfaces. If you can't see, you can feel in terms of what the words are in front of you. And these devices have different ways for you to manipulate the machine to then cast your ballot. If you can't use a pen and joystick. [00:42:18] Speaker C: Sorry, Scott. I was just saying, joystick is another auditory prompts with headphones being able to hear the ballot read for you. So there are a number of different accommodations for people who cannot or have challenges with, as Scott said, marking and manipulating that ballot. [00:42:46] Speaker A: Kevin, are you still with us? Do you use an accessible machine at all, or do you use, you know, how do you vote? [00:42:58] Speaker B: Um. [00:43:01] Speaker D: I need no machine. That's what's. Brian, what I'm voting for. Are you the pen or anything they have there? [00:43:11] Speaker A: Okay. So you don't need to use an accessible machine? [00:43:15] Speaker D: No, I don't. [00:43:16] Speaker A: Okay. All right. But you have probably your family that can help you if you're stuck with anything. [00:43:23] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:43:24] Speaker A: Okay, excellent. I had an experience where I voted with a machine and it wouldn't print, and no one could get it to print. So I had to go back and have somebody help me fill out my voting thing, which I. My ballot, which I was less than impressed with having somebody. Cause I love my independence and I love to be able to vote myself. So when that happens to. What does one do. [00:43:55] Speaker C: In Minnesota, exactly what you went through is what you do that if there is an issue with the machine and these are machinery, I mean, things happen, certainly. But if the choice, at least for me, if the choice is I need someone who's in a trusted position to mark my ballot for me, or I don't get to vote, it's an easy decision. It's not one that makes me 100% happy, because just as you say, Sam, I mean, I should be able to vote independently. And a lot of these. Yes. [00:44:35] Speaker A: And Scott, what happens in New York? [00:44:38] Speaker B: I would recommend anyone call that hotline that we mentioned earlier. Obviously, if you're in Minnesota, you know, Michael will say the number again, New York number for the attorney general election protection hotline. Is 866-390-2992 unfortunately, probably what will happen in the moment is they won't be able to make an immediate change. But the reason I think calling the hotline is really important, and maybe even my recommendation is also to talk about this on social media is a lot of the times when we work with government officials here in New York, and I'm sure this is the case in many states. It's important for us to elevate exactly what you're describing, Sam, that voters with disabilities value their independence, value the ability to mark the ballots on their own, value all of these accessibility accommodations that are, by the way, mandated by federal law in many cases. And these are people's civil rights that the state needs to invest time and money and training and resources into. So in the moment, and sometimes it is just machinery malfunctioning and it can be very difficult to deal with. But in the moment, there may not be anything that can solve the issue right then and there. But if you are making a complaint and if you are bringing this to a greater level of attention, the hope is that there will be more time and resources invested into training people to use these machines at the polling site and to help people use these machines in order to vote so that this doesn't happen in the future and that there are more accommodations and more focus paid to voters with disabilities on polling. [00:46:20] Speaker A: And I presume, as in Minnesota, somebody can assist you to help you fill out your ballot in New York. [00:46:26] Speaker C: Yes. [00:46:27] Speaker A: Great. [00:46:28] Speaker C: Sam, may I add two things? Yes. One is that one of the rights that Minnesotans have is to file a written report in the polling place if there's any issue about the voting process. So that day where you needed to get assistance because it wouldn't print, hopefully. Now two things can happen. One is that they have a log that the county elections office pours through afterwards of any issue that comes up. But you also have that opportunity to file a specific written report, and it will go to the county elections office. If it's a matter of malfeasance on someone's part, it can go to the county attorney. They're the ones who have jurisdiction over elections matters. So that right to file a written report that day does exist in Minnesota. I would like, and I'm sorry that I'm coming to the end of my time. [00:47:34] Speaker A: I know it's okay. [00:47:35] Speaker C: But I would like to point out one more accessible option for people that we haven't discussed. And if you don't have this in New York, Scott, it's another thing to be jealous of. We have what is called accessible absentee ballots for people with, I forget what the term is, but basically who have challenges marking the ballot for whatever reason. And what this allows is that someone will submit their normal request for an absentee ballot and then follow that up with a phone call to the county elections office and say, I would like an accessible absentee ballot. And what happens is they'll still get a packet mailed to them, but they'll also get a ballot in emailed to them that they can use whatever accommodations they have on their own computers for reading, for marking, for size of text, whatever it is that they normally use as their accommodation, for written material and for marking, and then print it out. And this is the limitation you still need, as with any absentee ballot, you still need a witness, not someone who sees your ballot, but who does see that it's blank, that it was you who did the voting in privacy. And then that goes, that printed ballot goes in a privacy envelope, which is the smallest envelope. So there's a size difference to be able to tell the difference between the three envelopes involved in absentee voting. So that privacy envelope is the smallest one that slides into the second smallest one, which is the signature envelope that the witness signs, and then the voter also marks and puts identifying information on to show that it's them. And then that goes in the mailing envelope, which is the largest envelope and gets sent back. So that does exist for people with a disability who need that or want that assistance. Someone who does not have a disability is not eligible to use that system, but it is there for those who need it. [00:50:06] Speaker A: All right, well, I think I'm going to make you late for your meeting. I apologize, but thank you so much. That was great information. And actually, Scott, I'll hold you on if you're good with it, but I do need to take a short station break. [00:50:24] Speaker C: May I give the phone number one more time, Sam? [00:50:27] Speaker A: Yes, absolutely. [00:50:27] Speaker C: So for Minnesota voting questions or issues, it's 651-215-1440 that number again, 651215. Be happy to continue this discussion at any time. Sam, thank you so much. [00:50:50] Speaker A: Thank you. And this is KfAi, 90.3 FM, Minneapolis, and kfai.org. please remember to pledge, we value your support and we bring you programs like this. And you can pledge by calling 612-375-9030 or go to kfai.org. and we were just speaking with Michael Walmichael as the youth outreach coordinator for the secretary for voting. For the secretary, secretary of state from Minnesota. And of course, we have Scott Carolides. Did I actually say that right? [00:51:23] Speaker B: That was good. Woo. [00:51:24] Speaker A: Okay, I'm learning. And also, Scott is the YAI director of government relations from New York. And also we have Kevin Francis, who is a self advocate. So I really appreciate you guys being on. What can you tell me, Scott, as far as an accommodation? Like, who's allowed to ask for accommodations? [00:51:53] Speaker B: So it depends on what you mean by accommodation, but any person with a disability, and I should say anybody, has the right to ask for an accommodation. And that can look very different depending on what you need. So, for example, if you use a wheelchair to move around, you should expect there to be an accessible ramp, an accessible entrance for you to be able to get into your polling site. But on occasion, there may be other difficulties inside the polling site. So, for example, many polling places are held in schools, and there might be large water fountains, there might be large objects that make it difficult to navigate. You should be allowed an accommodation to easily get to your designated polling booth to vote. We talked earlier about voting machines. That's an example of an accommodation that you are allowed to ask for. We talked about parking a little bit, but one thing I want to talk about is waiting in line. So if you maybe are walking on crutches, or if you have a really difficult time dealing with the temperature, either it's an unusually sunny and hot day in November, or it's very cold and you're struggling waiting in line, you can ask for an accommodation. They cannot move you to the front of the line. You can't cut everyone else and vote and not have to wait. But they can offer you a chair if you're standing outside so that you don't have to stand for prolonged periods of time, or if you're having a really difficult time with the temperature, they can offer you a place to sit indoors. And these are just common accommodation examples. There are many other ways that you can be accommodated based on your disability, based on your need at the polling site, and it will vary. But in general, most places are required to offer these sorts of accommodations due to, like we mentioned earlier, the American with Disabilities act, as well as the Voter Rights act. And these are federal laws that are enforced, by the way, by the federal Department of Justice on all the states having to offer these types of accommodations for people with disabilities. [00:54:03] Speaker A: Oh, Scott, we're running really short on time, and I just. There's so much to cover, and I'm sorry, I'm just not gonna get to everything. But I do want to ask. As far as, I mean, it's clear to me it sounds like it's not a guarantee your polling place will be accessible. How do you know if it will be or not? How can a person know if their place is, their polling place is going to be accessible? And while we're at it, how can they find out where they should be voting? [00:54:33] Speaker B: Like we mentioned earlier, because every state is different. You usually have to go to and your state, probably your secretary of state, has all of this in one area. That's usually the office in every state that manages this sort of work. And they'll have information about your polling site so you can look up information about where you go to vote. And it's probably different on early voting as it is on election day. So early voting, you'll probably have a different polling site than your election day polling sites. It's important to look up and be prepared for those two changes. And also, when you look up where you can vote, they'll usually include information about what accessibility accommodations there are. And again, every, I say almost every. And I should qualify that if you live in a particularly rural area. So, for example, a township with under 500 people, maybe there are some rules and requirements that they don't have to abide by for accessibility accommodations. So we should say almost every polling site has to have certain accessibility requirements, such as ramps for people with wheelchairs offer these types of accommodations, such as the voting machines to mark your ballot, as well as the other things that we discussed. When you look up your polling site online, usually your secretary of state office for your state, they'll have information about your polling site, where it's at, the hours that they're open for early voting and for election day, and what accommodations are already definitely expected and available there. [00:56:06] Speaker A: Kevin, it's clear to me that you believe in voting. And, you know, I don't know if you realize, but a lot of people with disabilities, like, we're one of the most under, we're very under. We don't always vote. So what would you tell people who think that voting's a lot of work or they don't know if they're going to go out to vote or not? [00:56:30] Speaker D: I would say just try your best and look at this goal. You can't vote at the staff or your parents who did vote. Ask them some questions about it and go for it. [00:56:53] Speaker A: Scott, I want to thank you for coming on. I really appreciate it. By the way, tell me what Yai stands for. [00:57:00] Speaker B: Technically, it doesn't stand for anything anymore. Many years ago, it was originally incorporated as young adult institute, but for a very long time now we serve everybody of all ages. And so young adult institute is no longer correct or appropriate, but that is the origin of the name. But now we are just Yai. [00:57:23] Speaker A: Thank you. Thank you so much for coming on and I really appreciate you doing that. This has been a great help and I want to encourage. [00:57:33] Speaker B: Thank you so much. [00:57:34] Speaker A: I want to encourage everyone out there who is start planning to vote now. Sometimes it takes longer than others, you know. Right, Charlene? [00:57:44] Speaker C: Oh, yeah. [00:57:45] Speaker A: But you want to start planning to make sure you're registered. Make sure you vote. This has been disability and progress abuse expressed on the show. I hope our everyone's and kfai's. You can call us at 612-375-9030 to pledge. Fresh fruit is coming up next. The visa Express first is hopefully everyone's to vote tonight. We were speaking with Michael Wall, the outreach coordinator for the secretary of state on voting. We were also speaking with Scott Carolides, who is Yai's director of government relations from New York, and also Kevin Francis, who is a self advocate. Rock on, Kevin. Glad you're voting. My name is Sam. I've been the host of the show. Charlene Dahl is my research person. Thanks for listening.