National Disability Voter Registration Week

Alexandria, VA – Voter registration drives are a great way to promote community involvement and civic participation across the country. There are many issues that American are passionate about ie- education, transportation, healthcare etc. The first step, is to help your community get registered to vote!

The REV UP Campaign coordinates National Disability Voter Registration Week (NDVRW) each year on the third week of July to increase the political power of people with disabilities while also engaging candidates and the media to recognize the disability community. REV UP stands for Register! Educate! Vote! Use your Power!

Find an event near you!

Hosting a Voter Registration Event

Getting people with disabilities registered to vote is the first step to increasing the political power of people with disabilities. Submit information about your event here and it will be included it on the REV UP State Resources and Events page.

• National Disability Voter Registration Week Toolkit
  The NDVRW Toolkit includes: a guide on how to organize voter registration events, ideas on other ways to participate in NDVRW, sample social media posts and graphics, and other resources. If you are planning voter registration events or other activities, please keep the REV UP Campaign updated on your efforts.
• Partnerships with Local Libraries
  AAPD is pleased to partner with EveryLibrary to bring National Disability Voter Registration Week (NDVRW) to libraries across the country. In 2017, over 150 libraries around the country participated in NDVRW. Libraries promoted the week and participated through programming, outreach, public education, and voter registration partnerships or on-site services.
• National Disability Voter Registration Week Social Media Toolkit
  Sample social media posts and graphics to promote National Disability Voter Registration Week.
• Statement of Support for the REV UP Campaign and National Disability Voter Registration Week
  Click here to view the joint statement of support for National Disability Voter Registration Week from Senators Bob Dole and Tom Harkin. They are collecting sign-ons from organizations (national, state, and local) to show their support for the REV UP Campaign and National Disability Voter Registration Week. Supporting organizations will have their name and logo listed on the REV UP website to show the vast support behind the Campaign. View the list of REV UP partners.
• Social Media Graphics (Facebook | Twitter)
• Additional REV UP logos, images, graphics, and signsrev rev
• 2019 NDVRW Flyer – English & Spanish (Click here for flyer)*

*Special thanks to María Vicky Díaz, Dr. Sara M. Acevedo, and Dr. Federico Waitoller with the National Coalition for Latinxs with Disabilities/Coalición Nacional para Latinxs con Discapacidades (CNLD) for providing Spanish translation.

Measuring  Success!

An important part of building political power is collecting data and building lists to show that there are millions of people with disabilities who are registered and plan to vote. In 2016, Rutgers University estimated that 35.4 million people with disabilities are eligible to vote – this number increases to 62.7 million eligible voters, 25% of the total electorate, when including  family members of people with disabilities. Help to collect data and show the impact of the effort. Please use the National Disability Voter Registration Week Reporting Formto record the number of people registered during National Disability Voter Registration Week.

Hosting a Voter Registration Event

Getting people with disabilities registered to vote is the first step to increasing the political power of people with disabilities. Submit information about your event here and we will include it on the REV UP State Resources and Events page.

• National Disability Voter Registration Week Toolkit
  The NDVRW Toolkit includes: a guide on how to organize voter registration events, ideas on other ways to participate in NDVRW, sample social media posts and graphics, and other resources. If you are planning voter registration events or other activities, please keep the REV UP Campaign updated on your efforts.
• Partnerships with Local Libraries
  AAPD is pleased to partner with EveryLibrary to bring National Disability Voter Registration Week (NDVRW) to libraries across the country. In 2017, over 150 libraries around the country participated in NDVRW. Libraries promoted the week and participated through programming, outreach, public education, and voter registration partnerships or on-site services.
• National Disability Voter Registration Week Social Media Toolkit
  Sample social media posts and graphics to promote National Disability Voter Registration

Additional Ways to Participate in National Disability Voter Registration Week

• Activate your social media. The REV UP Campaign has compiled some sample social media posts that you can pair with REV UP logos and graphics.
• Hold a press event or conference with local partners to announce national and local efforts to get new people with disabilities registered to vote, educated on disability issues, and committed to get out the DISABILITY VOTE. If possible, coordinate multiple sites around your state to host press events at the same time. Download a press release template here (2018).
• Organize a rally of voters with disabilities and disability advocates to promote the REV UP message and the power of the DISABILITY VOTE.
• Write letters to the editor or Op-Eds and engage local radio or TV stations on the growing efforts by the disability community to become an influential voice in electoral politics this November and beyond.
• Utilize your mail, email, and social media networks to provide information on voter registration and relevant disability issues in your area while also encouraging people to commit to vote on Election Day. View sample social media posts here.
• Host a workshop or training on the voting rights of people with disabilities. Your state protection and advocacy agency can be a great partner here.
• Host a workshop or training on your state’s voting laws and process and consider including a demonstration of how to use an accessible voting machine. Your local Elections office can be a great partner here.
• Organize a town hall event or individual meetings so candidates can meet and hear from people with disabilities in your community. As a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization you must send an invitation to all candidates. Nonprofit VOTE offers additional resources and guides on staying nonpartisan.
• Distribute candidate questionnaires to gather information on how candidates will address issues that are important to people with disabilities. For examples you can look at our REV UP 2016 Presidential Candidate Questionnaire as well as REV UP New Jersey’s 2017 Gubernatorial Candidate Questionnaire. As a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization you must send an invitation to allcandidates. Nonprofit VOTE offers additional resources and guides on staying nonpartisan.
• Collect Data on voters with disabilities in your area – this will help us build a broader movement to show the power of the disability voting bloc.
• Include REV UP and voter registration tables at upcoming events (especially any events around the 26th anniversary of the ADA).
• Connect with other disability rights and voting rights organizations in your area.
• Make your organization a polling place (Resources: How To Serve As A Polling Site and ADA Polling Place Checklist).
• Go to your Governor, Mayor, City Council, County Commissioner, State Representative, etc. to issue a proclamation declaring National Disability Voter Registration Week (a draft Proclamation is available here). This is a great way to develop a relationship with you local and state government. Please send any Proclamations you get to Zach Baldwin at [email protected] to show the power and support of REV UP across the country