On Tuesday June 18th, the Wisconsin Assembly will vote on AB 168. Current Wisconsin law requires all voters to speak their name and address to receive a ballot. AB 168 would require accommodation for voters who are unable to speak their name and address. Disability Rights Wisconsin asked policy makers to advance this policy change to address a barrier to voting for some voters with disabilities. We requested this change because of the concerns we were contacted about by some voters with disabilities and family members about the discriminatory impact of current Wisconsin law requiring voters to say their name and address before receiving a ballot, and the failure to provide accommodations for deaf voters and others who are able to speak their name and address.
Under the bill, if a voter is unable to state his or her name and address, the voter may present his or her identification to the election official. The election official, or another person selected by the voter, must then state the voter’s name and address.
Take Action Now: You can contact your State Senator and Assembly Representative to ask them to support AB 168/ SB 246 to ensure that people who cannot state their name and address do not experience barriers to voting. Call the Legislative hotline at 1-800-362-9472. Or to find out who your legislators are, enter your address in the right corner on this page.
Voting is one of our nation’s most fundamental rights and a hallmark of our democracy. Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires state and local governments as public entities to ensure that people with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote. AB 168 will help to correct discriminatory practices in Wisconsin