DRP Announces Voting Rights Hotline for Primary Election Day

1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)

Harrisburg, PA – Disability Rights Pennsylvania (DRP), a leader in disability rights legal and advocacy services for nearly forty (40) years, has partnered with the Election Protection Coalition to provide voter assistance to persons with disabilities in Pennsylvania on Primary Election Day, Tuesday, April 26, 2016. Voters with disabilities who encounter barriers to voting or who want to verify their polling location can call the hotline toll-free at 1-866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683). The hotline will be staffed live from 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Primary Election Day.

“Voting is one of our most fundamental rights. Yet barriers exist that prevent people with disabilities from exercising their right to vote,” said Peri Jude Radecic, Chief Executive Officer of Disability Rights Pennsylvania.

Federal civil rights laws were passed to ensure people with disabilities have access to polling places, are able to register to vote, have voting materials in accessible formats, and can exercise a private and independent vote. These laws include the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act of 1984, the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, and the Help America Vote Act of 2002.

Disability Rights Pennsylvania notes that barriers for people with disabilities on Primary Election Day can include inaccessible polling places, lack of accommodations, and accessible machine failures. Voters who experience barriers or who want to verify their polling place should call 1-866-OUR VOTE.

Disability Rights Pennsylvania (DRP) is the statewide protection and advocacy agency for Pennsylvanians with disabilities. DRP protects and advocates for the rights of people with disabilities so that they may live the lives they choose, free from abuse, neglect, discrimination, and segregation. DRP’s vision is a Commonwealth where people of all abilities are equal and free. disabilityrightspa.org.

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