The Secretary of State is asking voters with disabilities to participate in a brief confidential survey through December 31. Survey results will help identify whether there is a need for more training, modified services, or enhanced outreach programs for voters with disabilities.
The Secretary of State's office established a Statewide Voting Accessibility Advisory Committee (VAAC) in 2005 to advise, assist and provide recommendations to the Secretary of State's office as to how voters with disabilities can vote independently and privately.
For more information about the VAAC, please contact Jane Howell, Elections Analyst, at (916) 657-2166, or by email at jane.howell@sos.ca.gov.
Every registered voter is notified on the sample ballot mailed to them by their county elections official whether their polling place is accessible.
Elections officials are required, to the extent possible, to ensure that polling places are accessible to voters with disabilities.
In 2010, the Secretary of State's office contracted with the Department of Rehabilitation to update its Polling Place Accessibility Guidelines (Guidelines). The Guidelines are designed to provide county elections officials and members of the public with easy access to the federal and state requirements for accessible polling places.
Many services are available to voters who may need special assistance. You can learn about many of them by watching our American Sign Language video. Visit the Secretary of State's New Voters web page to access Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese versions of A Guide to Voting in California.
To register to vote, you may complete a Voter Registration Form now or call (800) 345-VOTE (8683) and ask for a form to be mailed to you.
Our vote-by-mail page provides you with a downloadable vote-by-mail ballot application. The form must be received by your county elections official at least 7 days before the election.
The Sectretary of State provides the Voter Information Guide in a downloadable audio format approximately 29 days before the election. Please complete our on-line order form if you would like to order the CD or audio cassette version of the Voter Information Guide.
The Secretary of State has approved several voting systems for use that allow voters with disabilities to cast their vote privately and independently. For a list of the equipment used in your county, visit our voting systems page.
