Title
Proclamation of Disability Voting Rights Week in Ann Arbor
Memorandum
PROCLAMATION
DISABILITY VOTING RIGHTS WEEK
WHEREAS, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the American with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Help America Vote Act of 2002 set accessibility requirements for federal polling locations; and
WHEREAS, the Michigan Election Law, Act 116 of 1954, establishes additional requirements to ensure free and fair access to polling locations for all voters during state and local elections; and
WHEREAS, widely recognized standards and good practices maintain the election cycle should remove barriers and promote broad participation by eligible voters; and
WHEREAS, as many as one in four adults in the United States1 have some type of Disability with over 2.3 million disabled people living in Michigan; and
WHEREAS, the 38 million voters with disabilities in the United States3 represent the largest minority voting bloc in the nation; and
WHEREAS, disabled voters can have a significant impact on the outcome of an election; and
WHEREAS, while Ann Arbor has worked to improve access to voting, it is widely recognized that accessibility barriers still do exist; and
WHEREAS, voters with disabilities are guaranteed the rights to access polls as other voters; and
WHEREAS, significant efforts have been made in Michigan and Ann Arbor to make voting more accessible through the expansion of absentee voting, early voting, online voter registration, and other measures; and
WHEREAS, Ann Arbor has committed resources to improve physical access to its public and private polling places including parking lot striping, electronic door openers and new ramps; and
WHEREAS, election administration and ensuring accessibility to polling locations on Election Day and during early voting periods is the responsibility of local municipalities; and
WHEREAS, the City of Ann Arbor recognizes that People with Disabilities are an important part of our community who provide unique perspectives, lived experiences and knowledge through their varied intersectional identities and that their voices make our community stronger; and
WHEREAS, the City of Ann Arbor seeks to develop an election administration space, remote clerk’s office, and early voting location to create more accessibility and security in our elections; and
WHEREAS, the City of Ann Arbor call attention to the barriers People with Disabilities face when casting their vote and further encourages election administrators to ensure all Disabled Voters have full and equitable access to the polls within their jurisdiction.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Mayor Christopher Taylor, Mayor of Ann Arbor, do hereby proclaim the week of September 11 through September 15, 2023, as Disability Voting Rights Week in the City of Ann Arbor.
I hereby set my hand and seal
this 23rd day of September 2023
Christopher Taylor
Mayor of the City of Ann Arbor