Fairfax County supervisors and advocates on Tuesday (Sept. 9) celebrated the progress in integrating local residents with disabilities into the elections process.
The Board of Supervisors designated this week (Sept. 8-12) as Disability Voting Rights Week in Fairfax County, recognizing the need to make voting accessible to the roughly 15% of the local electorate that face disability-related challenges.
Voting represents “both our biggest duty and our biggest honor,” said Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik.
Despite progress in supporting voting rights for those with disabilities, the county must remain “thoughtful about what the barriers are,” Palchik said.
Efforts across Virginia to lower voting hurdles for those with disabilities appear to be working. In 2018, there was an 11% gap statewide in voting rates between those with disabilities and the overall electorate; by 2022, that gap had all but disappeared, county officials said.
Partly in response to the pandemic, Virginia expanded early voting and mail ballots as options for all registered voters. Fairfax County also offers curbside voting for people with disabilities and older adults at all polling locations.
“We have come a long, long way,” Board Chairman Jeff McKay said, praising the efforts of advocates and election-office staff.
“We know we have work to be done, but we have the right partners,” McKay said.
Accepting the resolution was Elizabeth Reece of the Virginia affiliate of the advocacy group REV UP (“Register! Educate! Vote! Use Your Power!”). She was accompanied by other advocates, along with students and staff from John Lewis High School.
“We want to bring meaningful change to disabled Virginians and their families, Reece said.
The upward tick in voting among those with disabilities is “shattering assumptions” and giving those with disabilities a seat at the table, she said.
In Virginia, advocacy organizations including REV UP will host an online forum on Monday, Sept. 15 at 6 p.m. with the Democratic and Republican nominees for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.
“We see the growing political power of the disability community,” Reece said.
REV UP is a national initiative of the American Association of People with Disabilities.
The Sept. 9 presentation at the Board of Supervisors’ meeting coincidentally took place the same day as the special election to fill the seat of the late Rep. Gerald “Gerry” Connolly.
