Commentary: Turning a blind eye to a voting problem

Editor’s note: The following essay was co-written by a student in Erik Stanley’s anthropological writing class at Eastern New Mexico University.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 1-in-4 adults in the U.S. have some type of disability, including mobility, sensory, mental, or physical ailments. One of the biggest issues facing some disabled persons is an inability to properly vote and make their voices heard.

Inaccessible voting can look like long waiting times, inadequate parking, and large crowds, which are often deal-breakers for people with mobility and sensory issues.

In 2016, Rabia Belt, a Stanford law researcher, estimated that within the next 25 years, about 35% of voters will need some form of accommodation. Without it, about 3 million votes would be lost in elections due to inaccessible voting. While the Help America Vote Act (passed in 2002) was designed to help voting be more accessible, Belt claims that no case was brought under the law for violation of this act, and that lawmakers are making it worse.

The popularity of strict voter ID laws in multiple states falls the hardest on persons with disabilities since they are more likely to not have the proper documentation required under this law. Belt’s findings also point to over 30 states in the U.S. that have been found to actively disenfranchise disabled people based on arbitrary standards for health.

However, a solution appears to be on the rise: mail-in votes. Mail-in votes became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic when people were worried that long lines and close proximity to others would result in catching the virus.

As more people opted to stay at home, the option of a mail-in vote became more popular. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, eight states currently allow all elections to be conducted by mail: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont and Washington. Fifteen additional states (including New Mexico) have some limited forms of mail in voting.

Outside of being able to help senior citizens or concerned people, voting by mail greatly helps disabled voters as well, as it overcomes the difficulties of long wait times and poor parking. However, many politicians are against this practice because they are worried about voter fraud as well as more mail-in votes going toward the other party.

However, it is important for lawmakers to address concerns around voter fraud and ensure that the integrity of the voting process is maintained, while still providing accessible options for all voters. Additionally, lawmakers must work to reinforce the Help America Vote Act and ensure that polling places are accessible to all individuals, regardless of their physical or mental abilities.

To address the issue of inaccessible voting for disabled persons, it is important for lawmakers to prioritize solutions focused on accessibility and inclusivity. The popularity of mail-in votes during the pandemic demonstrated the value of providing alternative voting methods that are available to all individuals, including those with disabilities. Without mail-in votes, there are potentially 3 million votes that are unaccounted for. In this country, where voting is emphasized as civic duty from an early age, we can ensure that every citizen’s voice is heard and that we have a truly representative democracy.

Samantha Wilkening is an undergraduate student in cultural anthropology at Eastern New Mexico University. Erik Stanley is an associate professor of cultural anthropology at ENMU.