|
The Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation
Internal Advocacy Program is participating in a
collaborative effort to educate and empower citizens with
disabilities about their right and privilege to vote. A task
force was formed to review Alabama voting procedures and
laws in order to determine how best to inform citizens with
disabilities on voting issues. The diverse workgroup
includes representatives of the Governor’s Office on
Disabilities, the Secretary of State’s Office, the Attorney
General’s Office, the Alabama Board of Registrars, the
Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program, as well as various
family, consumer, and service provider groups. Education
is a key component of this initiative. Updated information
about voting rights for persons with disabilities, voting
registration, and voting procedures is available through the
Secretary of State’s Office and through various advocacy
groups. A new brochure, entitled “Assisting Voters with
Disabilities,” will be used for the poll worker training
that is provided by the County Probate Judges Offices.
Federal and state law gives persons with disabilities,
including mental illness and mental retardation, the right
to vote unless they have been ruled incompetent by a court
of law. This task force is dedicated to ensuring that
Alabama’s citizens with disabilities have the knowledge,
ability, and opportunity to exercise this right. |
