Utah Resources for Voters with Disabilities

In Utah, you have the right to the following as protected by federal law. Election staff must 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 choice, who can be a friend, family member, or poll worker (but not your boss, union agent, or a candidate unless this person is your family member)
• Election Staff trained to understand the rights above.

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

• You may request assistance from a poll worker or receive assistance from a person of your choice with the following exceptions:  
  • your employer, an agent of your employer
  • an officer or agent of your union
  • a candidate on the ballot
     
• A poll worker cannot force you to accept assistance.

Utah is a vote-by-mail state. All active, registered voters will automatically receive a ballot by mail. However, you have other options to cast your ballot including:

• In person on Election Day
• Absentee 
  • by mail if you will be away from your registered voting address
  • with an electronic ballot through email or fax if you have a disability
  • by electronic ballot in some counties
• While abroad as a citizen or military through an absentee ballot request
• Provisional ballot at a polling place
• Early voting in some locations

All active, registered voters in Utah will automatically receive a ballot by mail. If you want to receive a ballot by mail to an address other than the one you are registered to vote at, you must submit an application for a mail-in ballot.

• You can receive and return your absentee ballot by email so that you can use screen reader technology. You can request this type of ballot by contacting your county clerk.
• This video with audio-description explains how to vote from home or at a voting center.

• Federal law requires polling places to meet minimum compliance standards for individuals with special needs. 
• Polling locations have an accessible voting machine for voters who have hearing or print disabilities. Ask to use the accessible voting machine when you arrive. 
• This video with captions will help you in your voting process.

You can watch this video which explains how to vote as a person with a disability in Utah including how to use the accessible voting machines. Here is the same video with audio descriptions.

Contact Utah's Disability Law Center for assistance if you have a problem related to your disability when voting. 

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 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
• Verified Voter Accessible Voting Machine Search