The REV UP Campaign coordinates National Disability Voter Registration Week (NDVRW) each year on the third week of July to increase the political power of people with disabilities while also engaging candidates and the media to recognize the disability community. REV UP stands for Register! Educate! Vote! Use your Power!
On Monday, July 15th DRM kicked off National Disability Voter Registration Week by providing a Voter Registration and Rights training and voter registration session for The League for People with Disabilities advocacy group. Many thanks to the staff from the Baltimore City Board of Elections who brought Maryland’s accessible voting technology, the Ballot Marking Devices, “BMDs.” They provided a demonstration on how to use the BMD, offered an opportunity for the advocates to practice using the devices themselves and answered questions. Staff from the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office of Civil Rights were also in attendance and shared information about upcoming events.
According to a study conducted by Rutgers University, voter turnout surged by 8.5 points in 2018 among citizens with disabilities relative to the 2014 midterm elections, and it is expected to increase during the 2020 elections.
It is important for people with disabilities to be registered voters so they can elect officials who have their best interest at heart, and vote for policies that will improve their quality of life.
“Everyone with disabilities in the United States benefits from the rights and protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)”, said Voting Advocate, Tracy Wright. “We all need to do our best to protect it.”
Visit our website for more resources https://disabilityrightsmd.org/voting/
