Absentee voting protections for people with disabilities after the Supreme Court of Wisconsin Teigen decision
Updated: July 18, 2022
Following the Supreme Court of Wisconsin ruling on Teigen v WEC, Disability Rights Wisconsin (DRW) has received many questions from voters with disabilities who vote absentee. Federal law protects the right of people with disabilities to have assistance mailing their ballot, and also to have a person of their choice deliver their ballot to their clerk or polling place. Teigen did not limit or alter federal laws that protect the rights of voters with disabilities, such as the Voting Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. In addition, Wisconsin Statute 7.15(14) states that: “Each municipal clerk shall make reasonable efforts to comply with requests for voting accommodations made by individuals with disabilities whenever feasible.”
- If a voter with a disability needs someone else to mail their ballot, they should feel comfortable doing so. We encourage voters to complete and mail their ballot as soon as possible to allow time for mail delivery.
- If a voter with a disability needs assistance with ballot delivery, we recommend they contact their clerk and ask for a disability related accommodation. A sample accommodation request for ballot drop off is available.
- Voters with questions or concerns may contact the Disability Rights Wisconsin Voter Hotline: 844-347-8683 / info@disabilityvote.org
- Read “Our Voices, Our Votes: Disabled Voters Speak Out on Voting Rights and Ballot Return Assistance” here.
View an accessible PDF of this press release here.
Contact: Barbara Beckert, Director of External Advocacy | barbara.beckert@drwi.org | 414-292-2724