(SAN FRANCISCO) – A bill that would protect the voting rights of disabled individuals passed off the Assembly floor today. AB 2252, by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), would allow voters with disabilities to vote with the same convenience that military and overseas voters have by receiving their ballots via email.
“Technology has permeated many aspects of our daily lives for greater convenience and efficiency. In government, technology has proven an effective tool in greater transparency and public participation,” said Ting. “However, the act of voting itself is not as convenient or accessible as it should be and vote by mail only systems have proven an obstacle for some voters to participate. By emailing ballots to voters living with disabilities, we can ensure that their right to vote is not compromised. AB 2252 would allow voters with disabilities to cast their vote by using technology currently limited to military and overseas voters.”
AB 2252 eases the process of voting by allowing voters with disabilities to electronically receive their ballots. Additionally, this bill would make voting easier by giving disabled voters their ballot in a format that can be read and marked using existing assistive technology.
Existing law allows military and overseas voters to request their ballots electronically. The ballots are then printed, marked, and mailed back to the county election official. AB 2252 would allow disabled voters to do the same.
“Quote,” said Secretary of State Alex Padilla, who is a sponsor of the bill.
Disabled people with visual or physical impairments face challenges when voting because they often have to rely on others to assist them in reading and marking their ballots. While county election officials are able to bring an accessible voting machine to the voter, this option may often be inconvenient for the voter.
Vote-by-mail is the most convenient method to cast votes and it’s become a more popular choice among California voters. In the last election cycle, more than 60% of the ballots were cast by mail. Additionally, several counties such as San Mateo, San Diego, Monterrey, Yolo and Sacramento have the authority to hold vote-by-mail-only local elections.