Sept. 18, 2008
COMMENTARY: West Virginians with Disabilities Need to Register and 'Get Out the Vote'
By Pete Cuffaro
Special to Huntingtonnews.net
My name is Pete Cuffaro. I am a resident of Wheeling, West Virginia and have a disability. I have a spinal cord injury from a swimming pool diving accident on June the 25th, 1983 at the age of 24 which has left me paralyzed from the area of my chest, down.
I am contacting you to ask for your assistance in encouraging West Virginians with disabilities to register to vote as well as to exercise their right to vote.
Please note that this is a nonpartisan request and issue.
West Virginians with disabilities need to know that although we may have a disability, we have a right to vote.
There are many misconceptions and misinformation out there that if you have a disability, you are not eligible to vote.
West Virginians with disabilities are eligible to vote unless they have been judged “mentally incompetent” in a court of competent jurisdiction.
Some things you need to know in order to vote.
First of all, in order to vote, you must register to vote.
In order to register to vote, you must be at least 17 years old and 18 before the next general election.
You must register at least twenty-one days before the election.
You can receive a voter registration application from many places, including your county clerk’s office, motor vehicles office, public assistance agencies, military recruiting offices, or online at www.wvsos.com.
The last day to register to vote before the November General Election is Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2008. If mailing a voter registration form, it must be postmarked by this date.
Need assistance at the polling place?
If you need assistance, notify the poll workers at your polling place that you need assistance. Anyone can assist you as long as they are not a candidate, a past or present employer, or a union representative.
Many of our counties now utilize voting machines. Please note that these machines are very user friendly, so do not be apprehensive or intimidated about using them.
You may also vote from you car if you cannot enter your polling place. This is called “auto voting” or “motor voting”.
Two poll workers of different parties can bring a ballot or portable voting machine directly to your car. Of course, a family member or friend will need to enter the polling place to inform poll workers of your request.
If you plan to visit your precinct on Nov. 4, be sure to inquire if it is accessible and meets your needs. You can do this by contacting the county clerk’s office. If your precinct is not accessible, you may request to vote in a different precinct that is handicapped accessible. Again, contact your county clerk to make arrangements.
The easiest way to vote and the one that I prefer is “early voting”.
You can vote up to 20 days before Election Day. Contact the county clerk for the location and hours of “early voting”. No specific reason is necessary to vote early. Your vote will be tallied with those who vote on Election Day.
“Early Voting” starts on Wednesday, October the 15th and ends on Saturday, November the 1st. Yes, you can vote on Saturday, October the 18th and 25th and Saturday, November the 1st.
Absentee Voting.
You may vote an absentee ballot if you have an illness, injury, medical reasons which keep you confined at home or in a medical facility, a physical disability, a mobility issue due to extreme advanced age that keeps you confined and unable to vote in person or if your polling place is inaccessible.
How do you vote an absentee ballot?
First, contact your county clerk to request an absentee ballot application. Deadline for absentee ballot applications is Wednesday, October the 29th.
Mail the completed application to your county clerk no later than 6 days before the election to insure that the county clerk receives you absentee ballot before the deadline.
Please note that if you have a permanent disability or medical condition, you can ask to be placed on a special absentee voting list so an absentee ballot request form will automatically be mailed to you for each election.
Has a family member been hospitalized because of an emergency during the last seven days before the election and will still be in the hospital or nursing facility on election day?
Please note that an “Emergency Absentee Ballot” is available. The provisions only apply when it is too late to get a ballot by mail. Contact your county clerk for information concerning an “Emergency Absentee Ballot”.
Can someone receive assistance in completing an absentee ballot?
Yes, a voter can receive assistance, but should note on their absentee application that they will be receiving assistance as there are additional requirements.
The assistant will be required to sign off on the envelope insert that they gave assistance and the reason for such.
Other than that, there are no other requirements. These are the same requirements that take place at the poll on Election Day for those voters requesting assistance.
Here are some interesting statistics with reference to disabled residents in the State of West Virginia:
NOTE: Based on Statistics from 2000
Total number of West Virginia Residents: 1,683,528
Residents in the State of West Virginia with Disabilities: 410,781
% of Total Population: 24.4%
Voting-Aged Population (VAP) with Disabilities: 382,872
% of Voting-Aged Population (VAP): 27.2%
Estimated Voting-Aged Population (VAP) with Disabilities who voted in 2000: 140,131
Estimated % Voting-Aged Population (VAP) with Disabilities who voted in 2000: 36.6%
Estimated Voting-Aged Population (VAP) with Disabilities who did not vote in 2000: 242,741
Thank you for you time and consideration of this request.
West Virginians with disabilities need to empower themselves and let elected officials know that we are a voting force and we are going to make our voices heard through our vote. We are no longer going to allow political insiders and lobbyists make decisions which affect our lives. With your assistance on this endeavor, we can help to achieve this goal by bringing more Americans with disabilities into the voting booth to decide their own fates.
While this effort is being zeroed in with reference to individuals with disabilities, I would like to remind family members and caregivers to register and vote as well.
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COMMENTARY: West Virginians with Disabilities Need to Register and 'Get Out the Vote'
By Pete Cuffaro
Special to Huntingtonnews.net
My name is Pete Cuffaro. I am a resident of Wheeling, West Virginia and have a disability. I have a spinal cord injury from a swimming pool diving accident on June the 25th, 1983 at the age of 24 which has left me paralyzed from the area of my chest, down.
I am contacting you to ask for your assistance in encouraging West Virginians with disabilities to register to vote as well as to exercise their right to vote.
Please note that this is a nonpartisan request and issue.
West Virginians with disabilities need to know that although we may have a disability, we have a right to vote.
There are many misconceptions and misinformation out there that if you have a disability, you are not eligible to vote.
West Virginians with disabilities are eligible to vote unless they have been judged “mentally incompetent” in a court of competent jurisdiction.
Some things you need to know in order to vote.
First of all, in order to vote, you must register to vote.
In order to register to vote, you must be at least 17 years old and 18 before the next general election.
You must register at least twenty-one days before the election.
You can receive a voter registration application from many places, including your county clerk’s office, motor vehicles office, public assistance agencies, military recruiting offices, or online at www.wvsos.com.
The last day to register to vote before the November General Election is Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2008. If mailing a voter registration form, it must be postmarked by this date.
Need assistance at the polling place?
If you need assistance, notify the poll workers at your polling place that you need assistance. Anyone can assist you as long as they are not a candidate, a past or present employer, or a union representative.
Many of our counties now utilize voting machines. Please note that these machines are very user friendly, so do not be apprehensive or intimidated about using them.
You may also vote from you car if you cannot enter your polling place. This is called “auto voting” or “motor voting”.
Two poll workers of different parties can bring a ballot or portable voting machine directly to your car. Of course, a family member or friend will need to enter the polling place to inform poll workers of your request.
If you plan to visit your precinct on Nov. 4, be sure to inquire if it is accessible and meets your needs. You can do this by contacting the county clerk’s office. If your precinct is not accessible, you may request to vote in a different precinct that is handicapped accessible. Again, contact your county clerk to make arrangements.
The easiest way to vote and the one that I prefer is “early voting”.
You can vote up to 20 days before Election Day. Contact the county clerk for the location and hours of “early voting”. No specific reason is necessary to vote early. Your vote will be tallied with those who vote on Election Day.
“Early Voting” starts on Wednesday, October the 15th and ends on Saturday, November the 1st. Yes, you can vote on Saturday, October the 18th and 25th and Saturday, November the 1st.
Absentee Voting.
You may vote an absentee ballot if you have an illness, injury, medical reasons which keep you confined at home or in a medical facility, a physical disability, a mobility issue due to extreme advanced age that keeps you confined and unable to vote in person or if your polling place is inaccessible.
How do you vote an absentee ballot?
First, contact your county clerk to request an absentee ballot application. Deadline for absentee ballot applications is Wednesday, October the 29th.
Mail the completed application to your county clerk no later than 6 days before the election to insure that the county clerk receives you absentee ballot before the deadline.
Please note that if you have a permanent disability or medical condition, you can ask to be placed on a special absentee voting list so an absentee ballot request form will automatically be mailed to you for each election.
Has a family member been hospitalized because of an emergency during the last seven days before the election and will still be in the hospital or nursing facility on election day?
Please note that an “Emergency Absentee Ballot” is available. The provisions only apply when it is too late to get a ballot by mail. Contact your county clerk for information concerning an “Emergency Absentee Ballot”.
Can someone receive assistance in completing an absentee ballot?
Yes, a voter can receive assistance, but should note on their absentee application that they will be receiving assistance as there are additional requirements.
The assistant will be required to sign off on the envelope insert that they gave assistance and the reason for such.
Other than that, there are no other requirements. These are the same requirements that take place at the poll on Election Day for those voters requesting assistance.
Here are some interesting statistics with reference to disabled residents in the State of West Virginia:
NOTE: Based on Statistics from 2000
Total number of West Virginia Residents: 1,683,528
Residents in the State of West Virginia with Disabilities: 410,781
% of Total Population: 24.4%
Voting-Aged Population (VAP) with Disabilities: 382,872
% of Voting-Aged Population (VAP): 27.2%
Estimated Voting-Aged Population (VAP) with Disabilities who voted in 2000: 140,131
Estimated % Voting-Aged Population (VAP) with Disabilities who voted in 2000: 36.6%
Estimated Voting-Aged Population (VAP) with Disabilities who did not vote in 2000: 242,741
Thank you for you time and consideration of this request.
West Virginians with disabilities need to empower themselves and let elected officials know that we are a voting force and we are going to make our voices heard through our vote. We are no longer going to allow political insiders and lobbyists make decisions which affect our lives. With your assistance on this endeavor, we can help to achieve this goal by bringing more Americans with disabilities into the voting booth to decide their own fates.
While this effort is being zeroed in with reference to individuals with disabilities, I would like to remind family members and caregivers to register and vote as well.
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