Alaska Resources for Voters with Disabilities

In Alaska, you have the right to the following as protected by federal law. Election staff must be trained on and respect these rights:

• Accessible voter registration*
• Accessible polling places 
• Policies and procedures that do not discriminate against you based on your disability
• Accessible, available, and operational voting systems, features
• Your service animal to accompany you inside the polling place
• The right to vote privately and independently or with assistance, if needed
• Assistance from a person of your choice, who can be a friend, family member, or poll worker (but not your boss, union agent or someone who has authority over you at work)

In Alaska, you also have the right to:

• Have someone pick up and deliver a ballot to you if you are unable to vote because of age, illness or a disability. This person is called a personal representative.  More information is available under "What are the rules of assistance for disabled voters in Alaska?"

* More information on accessible voter registration in Alaska:

Federal law requires assistance in registering to vote from offices that provide public assistance or state-funded programs serving people with disabilities. 

Responsibilities of these offices include:

• Providing voter registration forms
• Assisting voters in completing the forms
• Transmitting completed forms to the appropriate election official

All aspects of voter registration must be accessible. 

Voters with what the State refers to as "special needs" may have assistance when voting in person.

• You may have a person of your choice provide assistance to you as long as that person is not your employer, agent of your employer, or agent of your union or a candidate on the ballot. This assistant is referred to as your "personal representative"
• You may also request assistance from an election worker at any voting location
• Your personal representative can help you in completing forms, reading voting materials and go into the voting booth with you to assist you in casting your ballot
• A poll worker cannot force you to accept assistance

Your personal representative can pick up and deliver a ballot to you if you'd like to vote absentee.

• Here is a video explaining how to use an Assistant to Vote 
• Your personal representative can pick up and bring you your ballot from any absentee voting location in your area, starting fifteen days before Election Day, or at your polling location on Election Day

If you would like to vote with an absentee ballot with a personal representative, here are the steps:

• Your ballot packet includes an envelope, a ballot, and a secrecy sleeve to securely deliver your vote
• When picking up your ballot packet, your personal representative will complete step one of the envelope by writing your name, their information and signature
• You will complete your ballot, place the ballot in the sleeve and seal it in the envelope
• You will complete step two on the envelope with your information, and your personal representative will be your witness to your signature
• Your personal representative will return your completed ballot to a voting location on or before 8:00pm Alaska Standard Time on Election Day

Alaska’s Voting Tablets allow disabled voters to vote unassisted through the use of a magnified, high contrast and audio ballot.

During elections with a federal race on the ballot, a Voting Tablet will be available at Early voting locations 15 days prior to an election as well as at each polling place on Election Day. Voting Tablets are intended for the blind, disabled and voters with reading difficulties.

Federal law requires polling places to meet minimum compliance standards for individuals with disabilities.

• The Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act of 1984 (VAEHA) requires accessible polling places in federal elections for elderly individuals and people with disabilities. Where no accessible location is available to serve as a polling place, voters must be provided an alternate means of voting in person on Election Day.
   
• The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) requires at least one accessible voting system for persons with disabilities at each polling place in federal elections.  The accessible voting system must provide the same opportunity for access and participation, including privacy and independence, that other voters receive. 

If you want to check that your polling location meets these standards or find an alternative polling location, contact your Regional Elections Official.

If you are unable to stand in line, you can

• Request that a chair be provided or refuse to accept a chair
• Request to have your place in line held and notified when it is your turn

 
Magnifying glasses are available at polling places to assist with print disabilities. 

A 21-inch touchscreen is available for your use in casting your ballot. With this equipment::

• Ballots may be viewed using a variety of text, contrast, and layout options.
• Ballots may be viewed in English, Spanish or specific Alaska Native languages.
• You are alerted of any errors on their ballot.
• You are able to view the selections before printing the ballot.
• You can utilize a range of accessibility devices.

You can listen to ballot measures, candidate statements, and official election pamphlets in audio format.

You can contact your Regional Elections Official for additional information about accessible voting.

During elections with a federal race on the ballot, a touch screen voting unit will be in each polling place and at the Regional Election Offices absentee voting locations.  Touch screen voting is intended for the blind, disabled and voters with reading difficulties.

Depending on the region, touch screen machines also offer an audio ballot in the following languages:

• Yup'ik
• Inupiaq/Iñupiaq
• Koyukon
• Gwich'in
• Spanish
• Tagalog

Alaska offers a PDF guide and video demo for the touch screen units. 

For more information or assistance, you can contact your Regional Elections Official.
 

If you encounter problems while exercising your right to vote, you may file a written, notarized complaint with the Division of Elections. This is the process for filing a complaint for Help America Vote Act (HAVA) violations.

You can also fill out a Violation of Civil Rights Complaint Form and submit it to the US Department of Justice by one of the following methods:

• Online, through the form’s submission process - this is the fastest method.
• By fax at (202) 616-9881. You MUST include “ATTN: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Complaints" at the top of your fax submission for it to be processed correctly.
• By mailing your form to: 

                 U.S. Department of Justice
                 Office of the Inspector General Investigations Division
                 ATTN: Civil Rights & Civil Liberties Complaints
                 950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
                 Washington, DC 20530

For assistance with advocacy, protection of your voting rights, and other services, you may contact the office of Disability Law Center of Alaska at 1-800-478-1234.

You can also call the Alaska Division of Elections at 1-888-465-5857.

For additional assistance, The National Network of ADA Centers can provide local contact information for other organizations you may wish to contact, including your Regional ADA Center or ADA Knowledge Translation Center, or Federal Agencies and Resources.

• Voter Registration or Absentee Ballot Request
• Election Dates/Deadlines
• Election Official Directory
• US Vote Foundation's Voter Help Desk
• Department of Justice Civil Rights Violation Complaint Form
• Alaska Elections Administrative Complaint Form
• Alaska's Touch Screen Voting Page