San Rafael, CA – With heightened awareness nationwide about the importance of voting, a special event coming up is designed to make sure people with physical or mental disabilities have equal access to the ballot-casting process.
Peter Mendoza of the Marin Center for Independent Living casts a ballot at the Marin County Elections Department. is July 16-20, and the
American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is rolling out its annual REV UP campaign. REV UP stands for Register! Educate!
Vote!
Use your
Power! The
Marin County Elections Department, Marin County Disability Access Program and the nonprofit
Marin Center for Independent Living (MCIL) are partners in the effort to register more Marin voters.
“We don’t know how many people with disabilities reside in Marin County and are eligible to vote but not registered,” said Registrar of Voters Lynda Roberts. “Since the 2016 elections, the public has shown a greater interest in government activity, so I think people are realizing the importance of voting. Registration is continuous all year, but events such as National Disability Voter Registration Week help raise awareness and remind people to register.”
The REV UP Campaign aims to increase the political power of the disability community while engaging candidates and the media on disability issues. Researchers at Rutgers University School of Management and Labor Relations determined that in 2016 a projected 35.4 million people with disabilities were eligible to vote in the November 2016 election, representing close to one-sixth of the total electorate.
The San Rafael-based MCIL plans to coordinate with the Elections Department and Disability Access Program to provide voter registration opportunities in several locations around the county. In addition, EveryLibrary, a national organization created to foster library funding and support, is partnering with AAPD to raise awareness.
The Marin County Free Library’s branches will take part, including Corte Madera, Point Reyes Station, Fairfax, Stinson Beach, Inverness, Bolinas, Marin City, Novato and South Novato. In addition, College of Marin’s Kentfield main campus and Indian Valley Campus in Novato, the Novato Farmers Market and San Rafael Farmers Market plan to participate. Registration forms will be available at those locations.
Register to vote online through California’s Secretary of State website. For more information about local voter registration events, contact Veda Florez, Marin County Elections Department Communications Outreach Consultant, at 415-299-0035 or marinelections360@gmail.com.