Disability, Voter Turnout, and Voting Accessibility from 2012 to 2022

• In Event: How Far Have We Come? Disability and Voting

Abstract

Has voting become more accessible for people with disabilities? This paper compares results from national post-election surveys of eligible voters with and without disabilities after the 2012, 2020, and 2022 elections, sponsored by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. The results show noteworthy progress in accessibility as voting difficulties have decreased for voters with disabilities since 2012 while remaining stable for voters without disabilities. The increased availability of voting by mail during the pandemic accounts for about half of the reduced difficulties. People with disabilities have continued, however, to be much more likely than those without disabilities to face difficulties in voting. States that made it easier to vote by mail had especially large increases in disability turnout, but not in non-disability turnout, from 2018 to 2022. The results indicate that recent efforts by some states to restrict voting access will have a negative effect on the turnout of people with disabilities.

Authors

• Lisa Schur, Rutgers University-New Brunswick

• Douglas Kruse, Rutgers University

• Mason Ameri, Rutgers University

• Meera Adya, Syracuse University