Campaign Home | Campaign Ideas | Voter Facts | Accessible Voting | Resources |

PREPARING POLL WORKERS

Common Courtesies and Guidelines

Many poll workers will have had no experience in working with people with disabilities. You might consider offering to assist your election officials in training poll workers to work appropriately with people with disabilities.

Here are some basic tips:

• Be aware that federal law allows voters with disabilities to be accompanied and to receive assistance by another person in the voting booth.
• Remember that all voters deserve courteous attention in exercising their right as citizens to vote.
• Be considerate of the extra time it might take for a person with a disability or an older adult to get things done.
• Give unhurried attention to a person who has difficulty speaking.
• Speak directly to the person who has a disability rather than just to a companion who may be accompanying him or her.
• Speak calmly, slowly and directly to a person who is hard of hearing. Your facial expressions, gestures and body movements help in understanding. Don't shout or speak in the person's ear. If full understanding is doubtful, try writing a note to the person.
• Before pushing someone in a wheelchair, ask if you may do so and how you should proceed.
• Greet a person who is visually impaired by letting the person know who and where you are. Provide a guiding device such as a ruler or card for signing forms. When offering walking assistance, allow the person to take your arm and tell him or her if you are approaching steps or inclines or are turning right or left.
• Be aware that animals who assist people with disabilities must be admitted into all buildings. Such animals are highly trained and need no special care other than that provided by the owner.

| Back to Previous Page | Continue...Voting Resources? |