Washington, D.C. — Disabled Americans continue to face significant barriers to exercising their fundamental right to vote, according to a new analysis from the Center for American Progress analysis and the launch of the organization’s first-of-its-kind Accessible Democracy Tracker. Built using original data from surveying disability and civic organizations across the country, this interactive tool provides the first comprehensive, state-level snapshot of voting accessibility for disabled Americans. It also highlights state-based solutions identified by organizations to make democracy more accessible.
More than 40 million disabled Americans were eligible to vote in 2024, and that number continues to grow. Yet there has been no comprehensive way to compare how accessible elections are across states. The Accessible Democracy Tracker provides the first national benchmark, combining original survey data from 40 states, state accessibility scores, firsthand accounts from disabled voters, and policy recommendations to create a roadmap for improving access to democracy.
“You can’t improve what you don’t measure,” said Mia Ives-Rublee, senior director of the Disability Justice Initiative at CAP and co-author of the analysis. “For the first time, we’re able to track and compare state-based data on a variety of democracy access points in order to identify where disabled voters face barriers. We hope to measure where states are making progress and what it will take to make our elections truly accessible for everyone.”
Key findings include:
- The national voting accessibility score is just 3.3 out of 5. Disabled voters continue to face significant barriers to voting.
- Voter registration received the lowest score. Registration efforts earned a national score of 2.4 out of 5, making them the greatest barrier identified by surveyed organizations.
- Voting by mail remains a critical accessibility tool. Voting by mail, which is known to be disproportionately used by disabled people due to the barriers to in person voting, received a score of 3.7.
- The highest rated area was Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, with a score of 3.8. However, as disabled people are three times more likely than their nondisabled counterparts to have difficulty casting a ballot, the tracker reveals that current ADA regulations are not enough.
- Organizations have identified practical solutions. Recommendations include expanding accessible voter registration efforts, improving accessible election information, increasing transportation options, modernizing accessible voting equipment, and strengthening disability-led poll worker training.
The Accessible Democracy Tracker will continue to expand as additional disability and civic organizations contribute survey responses, allowing CAP to produce future state-level analyses and track changes in voting accessibility over time.
Explore the tracker: “Mapping Disabled Americans’ Access to Democracy” by Casey Doherty and Mia Ives-Rublee
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Christian Unkenholz at [email protected].