Are you registered to vote?

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Are you registered to vote in Illinois? And if you have a son or daughter with

a disability who is 18 or older, are THEY registered to vote? Want more

information about voter rights, responsibilities, and available accommodations?

IPADDUnite at has a Files section chock full of practical voter

information specifically for people with developmental disabilities. This

includes teaching guides that parents or teachers can use to help our young

people understand what being a good citizen and voting are all about. My

apologies that the News-2-You pieces are old -- from 2006 -- but the concepts

are sound! Check out our voting resources at

IPADDUnite/files/VOTING%20RIGHTS/.

In the meantime, here's what you need to know about Voter Registration in 2010.

This is from the wonderful folks at Equip for Equality. Take care, Laurie

Equip for Equality Voter Guide

November 2, 2010 Election

This resource sheet is a guide to voting rights for people with disabilities.

Nothing written here shall be understood to be legal advice. For specific legal

advice an attorney should be consulted.

For alternate formats, contact Equip for Equality at 800.537.3632, TTY:

800.610.2779.

IMPORTANT DATES IN 2010

Voter Registration

§ October 5: Last day to register to vote by Deputy Registrar

§ October 6: First day of grace period registration and voting at election

authority

§ October 26: Last day of grace period registration and voting at election

authority

Early Voting

§ October 12: First day of early voting (at locations named by the election

authority)

§ October 28: Last day of early voting (at locations named by the election

authority)

Absentee Voting

§ September 23: First day to apply for an absentee ballot (in person or by

mail)

§ October 20: First day to submit absentee ballot applications for voters

admitted to a hospital, nursing home, or rehabilitation center 14 days or less

before Election Day

§ October 28: Last day to apply for an absentee ballot by mail (application

must be received by this date)

§ November 1: Last day to apply for and vote an absentee ballot in person

§ November 1: Last day to mail a voted absentee ballot (ballot must be

postmarked by this date to be counted)

§ November 2: Last day to return voted absentee ballots for voters admitted to

a hospital, nursing home, or rehabilitation center 14 days or less before

Election Day

Note: In-person absentee voting at election authority offices or other

designated places is available during the 4 days just before an election

(October 29-November 1). However, some municipalities, townships, and villages

may offer in-person absentee voting during the same or different time periods.

Check with your local election authority for details.

ELECTION DAY

§ November 2: General Election (Polling places are open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00

p.m.)

Provisional Voting

§ November 4: Last day a person who voted a provisional ballot may provide

additional information to the county clerk or board of election commissioners to

verify or support his or her registration status

Who can register to vote?

Persons who are:

§ Citizens of the U.S. on Election Day

§ At least 18 years of age on or before Election Day

§ Residents of the precinct at least 30 days as of the day of the next election

You must register to vote if:

§ You have never registered before

§ You have recently moved or changed your name

Note: If you move within 28 days of an election, but reside in the same

precinct, you may vote by signing an affidavit

When can you register to vote?

§ Voter registration by deputy registrars is open year round except for the

27-day period just prior to an election and during the 2-day period after each

election (one day after in Chicago).

When you register, bring at least two pieces of identification -- with at least

one that has your current address:

§ Driver's License

§ Illinois State ID

§ Public assistance ID card

§ Social Security card

§ Library card

§ Employee or student ID card

§ Civic, union or professional association membership card

§ Recent Utility bill

§ Credit card

§ Birth certificate

Where can you register to vote?

In Person:

§ Equip for Equality offices

§ Your local election authority

§ County Clerk's office

§ Board of Elections' office

§ City and village offices

§ Township offices

§ Precinct Committeemen

§ Military recruitment offices

§ Some corporations

§ Some labor groups

§ Some civic groups

§ Some public libraries

§ Some employers and schools; check with your employer or school to see if they

sponsor a voter registration drive or suggest that they do.

When applying for services at the following:

§ Driver's License Facilities

§ Department of Healthcare and Family Services offices

§ Department of Public Health offices

§ Division of Mental Health & Developmental Disabilities offices

§ Division of Rehabilitation Services offices

Mail-In Registration

§ Illinois State Board of Elections website has forms to download, print and

mail in: www.elections.il.gov

§ Contact your local election authority for details

§ A person who registers by mail must vote in person the first time and show

identification, unless he or she first provides the proper election authority

with sufficient proof of identity that has been verified by the election

authority. In that case, the person may vote by absentee ballot.

Voter Rights

§ Federal law says that polling places must be accessible to persons with

disabilities. But if you want to be sure you can vote on Election Day, it's best

to plan ahead.

§ Call the election office in your city or county and tell them where you live

and that you have a disability and you need an accessible voting place.

§ Curbside voting -- if the building is not accessible, curbside voting should

be provided. The election judges bring the ballot out to you. To take advantage

of this, you are asked to contact your election authority before Election Day.

However, election judges should be prepared to offer curbside voting whenever a

voter requests it.

§ As a voter, you have a right to ask anyone you want to assist you at the

polls, except for your employer or an officer of a union of which you are a

member. (You may bring a friend, family member, teacher, personal attendant,

neighbor, etc.)

§ You may also ask the election judges for help.

o Two judges must assist you in the voting booth-one Democrat and one

Republican.

o You sign a paper that states you have requested assistance, states your

disability and whether it is temporary or permanent.

o You can be given instructions on how to vote with a sample ballot without

signing the assistance paper.

§ The person who assists you is not allowed to try to influence you to vote a

certain way.

Voting Resources:

Equip for Equality

Chicago Office - Tel: 800.537.2632

Moline Office - Tel: 800.758.6869

Springfield Office - Tel: 800.758.0464

Carbondale Office - Tel: 800.758.0559

TTY for all Offices: 800.610.2779

www.equipforequality.org

Overview of EFE's voting activities

Help America Vote Act (HAVA) information

Links to other voting sites

On Election Day, November 2, 2010, Equip for Equality will have advocates

available by telephone to answer your questions about any voting problem you

might experience.

Call: 800.537.2632

Chicago Board of Election Commissioners

Tel: 312.269.7976

www.chicagoelections.com

Find out your registration status, where your polling place is located, and the

elected officials in your area

Watch a voter instruction video and print multi-language voter information

sheets and sample ballots.

Download an absentee ballot application to fill out.

Chicago Council of Lawyers

www.chicagoappleseed.org

Read reviews of federal and state judges.

Cook County Clerk, Orr

Tel: 312.603.0906 TDD: 312.603.0902

Spanish (Espanol): 312.603.6767

www.voterinfonet.com

Cook County suburban residents: Type in your street address to access a virtual

ballot

Locate your polling place

Check an online voter guide to learn more about candidates

Illinois Attorney General, Madigan

Chicago Tel: 312.814.3000 TTY: 312.814.3374).

Springfield Tel: 217.782.1090 TTY: 217.785.2771.

Carbondale Tel: 618.529.6400/6401 TTY: 618.529.6403

www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov

Contact the Attorney General if you have encountered discrimination or you

suspect improper or illegal activity at the polling place or while registering

to vote.

Illinois State Bar Association

Springfield Tel: 217.525.1760, 800.252.8908

Chicago Regional Office Tel: 312.726.8775,

800.678.4009

www.isba.org

Check out how the ISBA rates the qualifications of judges based upon ISBA

standards

Illinois State Board of Elections

Chicago Office

Tel: 312.814.6440 TDD: 312.814.6431

Springfield Office

Tel: 217.782.4141 TDD: 217.782.1518

www.elections.il.gov

Look up contact information for your local election authority

Look up information on how to register and vote

Print voter registration forms

Locate candidate-filing information.

Find election totals

Read about campaign disclosures

League of Women Voters of Illinois

Tel: 312.939.5935

www.lwvil.org

Get information about voting with an absentee ballot

Print a yearly election calendar

Learn about the candidates through forums

Resources/contacts

National Technical Assistance Center for Voting & Cognitive Access

Ward, Oklahoma Disability Law Center

2915 N Classen Blvd., Suite 350

Oklahoma City, OK 73106

Tel: 405.528.1900

E-mail: nward@...

www.govoter.org

Assist people to make voting accessible for citizens with cognitive disabilities

and visual disabilities

EQUIP FOR EQUALITY

20 N. MICHIGAN AVE, SUITE 300,

CHICAGO, IL 60602

TEL: 800.537.2632

TTY: 800.610.2779

FAX: 312.341.0295

www.equipforequality.org

EQUIP FOR EQUALITY IS AN INDEPENDENT NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION. OUR MISSION IS TO

ADVANCE THE HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.