LANSING, Mich. — A chunk of 56-year-old David St. John’s life has been spent in a wheelchair, and while it does come with some challenges, it hasn’t stopped St. John from exercising his right to vote.
“I am a registered voter,” he said.
But there have been elections where getting to the polls, hasn't been an easy task.
“I recall having problems getting in the booth, having being situated in the booth, having a person to help me, it was just challenging,” St. John said.
It’s those types of experiences that has Lansing City Clerk Chris Swope and his office doing what they can for those with disabilities throughout the voting process, starting with an online option to request absentee ballots.
“They can request their ballot online, have it emailed to them, and then print it and mail it back,” Swope said.
Next, Swope said every polling location is ADA accessible and comes along the Voter Assistance Terminal.
“This helps voters with disabilities mark a ballot independently,” Swope said. “For example, you can make the text bigger, you can plug in any additional software to help you use it. This really could help those with disabilities cast their votes independently.”
While St.John doesn’t plan on going to the polls this year because he’ll be voting absentee, he is on board with these resources.
“You know it’s very important that these types of resources and access are made for people with disabilities,” St. John said.
