Minnesota Council On Disability

Your Policy, Training and Technical Resource

Know Your Rights on Election Day

Inclusion in society for people with disabilities also means a right to participation in political and public life. This includes the right to vote. With that in mind, we thought it important to share the Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities’ pointers to make sure that everyone’s experience at the polls goes as smoothly as possible. Visit the MN-CCD website for more information.

Be prepared in advance

  • To locate your polling place, refer to Sec. of State Pollfinder Website
  • If you aren’t sure if you are registered to vote already, refer to Voter Status website
  • If you live in the Twin Cities and need a free ride to the polls, call Courage Center at 1-855-507-4337 or click on their website for more information
  • If you aren’t familiar with automatic voting machines, called AutoMARK, the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office created a helpful video of this voter assistance tool in action

Problem-solving on Election day

The Minnesota Disability Law Center suggests that you bring the following list with you when you head to the polls.

  1. To fix a problem at the polls, before you leave the polling place:
    • Talk to the head election judge, and if they can’t fix it, ask them to contact a county or city election official. If that doesn’t work,
    • Contact the Minnesota Disability Law Center Voter Hotline at 612-334-5970 or 1-800-292-4150 or TDD/TTY: 612-332-4668
    • Email: mndlc@mylegalaid.org or
    • Contact Election Protection at 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)
    • File a written complaint at your polling place.
  2. If you are pre-registered, you don’t need to bring ID to the polls. You have the right to register to vote and to vote on Election Day if you can provide the required proof of residence and identity. Check the Secretary of State’s website to see what you will need to register on Election Day. If you live in a residential facility, an employee of the facility may vouch for you.
  3. If you can’t get into your polling place, you can register and vote from your vehicle. Ask the head judge to find two election judges to come outside to help you.
  4. If you are under a guardianship you still have the right to vote UNLESS your guardianship order says that the court has taken away your right to vote.
  5. If someone challenges your right to vote, the election judge must:
    • Put you under oath and have you swear to tell the truth;
    • Ask you whether you are under a court ordered guardianship where the court took away your right to vote;
    • If you answer that you are eligible to vote, you MUST be allowed to vote.
  6. If you cannot sign your name, you have the right to tell the election judge who you are and tell another person to sign your name for you on the roster.
  7. You have the right to ask for help voting.  Any person you choose can go with you into the voting booth except an agent of your employer or union, or a candidate.
  8. It is against the law for anyone in the polling place to try to influence your vote.
  9. You can ask someone to mark your ballot for you.  It is against the law for them to mark the ballot for you if you cannot communicate to them who you want to vote for.
  10. You have the right to take a sample ballot into the voting booth with you.
  11. If you make a mistake and spoil your ballot before you submit it, tell an election judge that you need a new ballot and then vote on the new ballot.