As the 2024 election season ramps up, the University of New Hampshire (UNH) is strengthening its efforts to ensure all students, including those with disabilities, can participate in the voting process.
Dean of Students Michael Blackman revealed a series of resources and accommodations designed to make voting more accessible for all students, particularly those facing barriers due to disabilities.
“Any student who would like to access our voter registration efforts but is unable to because of a disability is welcome to connect with the Dean of Students Office or Student Accessibility Services to discuss accommodations to participate,” Blackman said. He emphasized UNH’s promotion of the U.S. Vote Foundation’s Disabled Voter Guide, which provides essential information for ensuring a seamless and inclusive voting experience.
Although UNH does not have a voting location on campus, Blackman assured students that the university has taken steps to facilitate off-campus voting.
“Voting locations across the country are established by local election officials. We do not have voting locations on campus. Instead, we ensure students know about the established voting locations and in Durham, provide free transportation to those locations. We also provide information regarding absentee voting, which is often a more accessible option for individuals with certain disabilities,” Blackman said.
The NH Disability Statistics report states that in New Hampshire, where 1 in 8 residents lives with a disability, ensuring accessibility is particularly critical. These disabilities include difficulties with vision, hearing, mobility, cognition, self-care, and/or independent living.
For students with print disabilities, New Hampshire’s accessible absentee voting system allows voters to receive and mark an absentee ballot independently using their personal computers. The application for these ballots can be read with screen readers like NVDA and JAWS using Adobe Reader, said Blackman.
In addition to absentee voting options, every polling place in New Hampshire is equipped with the “One4All” accessible voting system, which allows voters with disabilities to cast their votes privately and independently. The system, a tablet with a high definition keyboard and headphones, reads the ballot to the voter and allows them to print a marked ballot that is identical to those used by all other voters.
“The Secretary of State’s office has done a good job listening to the community, especially the blind and vision impaired community, and taking feedback to improve the system. Because initially it used the synthetic voice, it was really, really hard to understand, and it did not pronounce the names of candidates correctly. And it printed out on just a plain piece of printer paper, like computer paper. But they’ve improved the voice and it now prints out on a card stock, thick ballot,” says James Ziegra, a senior staff attorney at the Disability Rights Center of New Hampshire.
New Hampshire law guarantees that all polling places must meet certain accessibility standards. Blackman highlighted several key accessibility features required at voting locations, including van accessible parking spaces, ramps or elevators for changes in elevation, clearly marked accessible entrances, and wheelchair accessible voting booths. These measures are in place to ensure that voters with disabilities face no physical barriers to exercising their right to vote.
Ziegra emphasized the importance of legal protections for voters with disabilities. “Both state and federal law protect the right of people with disabilities to vote,” Ziegra said. “Under the Americans with disabilities Act and the Help America Vote Act, people with disabilities are guaranteed the right to vote privately and independently.”
Ziegra explained that while physical accessibility at polling places has improved significantly over recent years, there are still challenges. “We have found that most polling places are accessible in terms of things like ramps and parking,” Ziegra stated, “but there are still minor issues – such as signage or parking availability – that can pose barriers.”
Ziegra further pointed out that while UNH offers transportation and absentee ballot information, the absentee can still be cumbersome for some disabled students. “In 2020, due to the pandemic, absentee voting was expanded. While this was great, it didn’t fully accommodate voters with disabilities,” Ziegra said. “Although New Hampshire’s absentee voting system is accessible to those with print disabilities, it still requires voters to print and mail the ballot, that’s a challenge for people who don’t have access to a printer or for those with motor impairments who can’t easily fill out and return a paper ballot.”
While some states have implemented fully electronic voting systems, concerns over voter security have slowed the process in New Hampshire. “The technology is still developing, and there are valid concerns about security with online voting,” states Ziegra. “But without an electronic return system, the current process isn’t fully accessible for all voters with disabilities.”
Despite these challenges, New Hampshire has recently passed a law requiring local elections to have accessible voting equipment, which will take effect in 2025. This is a significant step forward for accessibility at the municipal level, where previously only two towns, Exeter and Concord, offered accessible voting systems for local elections.
Looking ahead, the Disability Rights Center is continuing its work to educate and support voters with disabilities. Ziegra noted the center’s efforts to provide voter rights training across the state, collaborating with self advocacy groups, mental health centers, and schools to ensure voters with disabilities are informed and empowered.
“We will have a hotline open from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. when the polls close on Election Day so that voters with disabilities who encounter barriers can talk to an attorney right away,” says Ziegra.
At UNH, Blackman expressed pride in the university’s efforts to support voter registration and accessibility, but acknowledged that continued collaboration with local officials and student organizations will be essential.
“This year, we have bolstered our communication efforts to students, forged stronger relationships with town officials, and are working more closely with student government to promote voter registration information,” Blackman said. “We’re already seeing the results of this work, as we had more students register to vote on our first day of tabling than I’ve ever seen in a single day since I started at UNH.”
As the election draws closer, UNH remains committed to ensuring that all students, regardless of ability, have the tools, information, and support they need to exercise their right to vote.
