2012 Voting — Does the Disabled Vote Count?

Senator Robert Dole and Representative Tony Coehlo published an op-ed piece in Politico about the untapped political power of those with disabilities.   They reason that since 19% of the American population has a disability, every politician should pay heed.  And every voter should claim their right to vote.  They support the upcoming National Forum on Disabliity Issues.     ( Described in Nemo’s post yesterday.)   They acknowledge the difficulty of establishing one coherent voice within the community.   Read the Politico  article  here. 

TheNemoNews reasons that  everyone in Lake County, disabled or not, should register to vote and participate in elections.  It is our right, and gives form to our voice. When those concerned with disabilities do not vote, they surrender their voice in matters that directly affect them with respect to housing, transportation, employment, education, health care, opportunity and more.   It is the right of a disabled individual to request an absentee ballot or  the assistance of another person in the voting booth.  A request for assistance will be made to the precinct judge at the polling place.

In order to register to vote, a citizen 18 years of age or older (by election day) should bring two pieces of identification to an official voter registration facility.  Click here for the Lake County pamphlet on Official Voter Registration Facilities.    The Illinois State Board of Elections website has similar information.

The last day to register to vote is October 9, 2012. 

The Lake County Clerk’s website has a great deal of information for residents.   Start the process  by finding out if you are a registered voter for this election.  By giving them your name and address, you will be able to see your personalized information.

From this page, there are boxes  that allow you to

  • Obtain a sample ballot — Select box labelled  “What is On My Ballot”
  • Obtain a list of your elected officials.
  • Request an absentee ballot online.  To request a ballot by phone call the office at 847-377-2406.

Early voting *in person* begins October 22 and ending on Saturday, November 3.

If you are not registered, have moved or changed your name, please contact the Voter Registration Department at
(847) 377-2410 for registration information before the close of registration on October 9, 2012.

Readers with more information on voting are encouraged to post in the comments section of this post.

 

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