DES MOINES, Iowa — As Iowans prepare for Election Day tomorrow, some face more barriers than others to exercise their right to vote. Approximately one in four Americans has some sort of disability, according to the CDC.
There's a lot of reasons that someone might need help at the polls. Maybe they have a mobility issue. Maybe they're visually impaired. Whatever the situation, they all have something in common.
"People who are voting should know that they have the right to vote, they should know that they have the right to accommodations when they vote," said Lacee Bee, a voting rights advocate at Disability Rights Iowa.
Those accommodations come in many different forms. For example, if someone has a hard time reading the ballot, they can bring a friend or poll worker to help. If someone can't get inside a polling place, then curbside voting is available.
For those who haven't yet turned in their absentee ballot, a designated caregiver or household member can return it for you.
"It can't just be your buddy from down the hall or your neighbor that might be willing to do you a favor," said Karen Kedrowski, director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center.
There's plenty of ways that poll workers can help make voting as easy as possible, but there's one thing they can't do.
"People with disabilities don't need to verify or prove or disclose that they have a disability," Be said. "And if a poll worker asks you, they're not actually allowed to ask you to prove or verify or disclose that information."
All the options available are meant to give everyone the chance to exercise the right to vote.
"To [have] more people who have access to the right to vote is important, so that we can further embrace and improve our rights to the voting process and our rights to democracy," Be said.