Use Your Voice, Cast Your Vote

A Voting Guide for Young People with Disabilities

You notice that your neighborhood has many sidewalks that aren’t wheelchair accessible, and you want to make sure your local leaders have a plan to fix them.

Your IEP meeting keeps getting rescheduled because the faculty are short-staffed and schools all over your community are overcrowded.

You’re 18 and need to get to a job interview across town, but your local bus keeps experiencing long delays. Plus, you keep hearing threats that the route might soon be cut altogether due to funding problems.

These and many other issues impact your life as a young person with disabilities. And they all have one thing in common: Your vote can directly affect the outcomes.

Many young people don’t vote, and research shows these are the biggest reasons why:

  • They don’t have the information they need about voting or registering to vote.
  • They don’t have enough information about the candidates running for office.
  • They don’t like the candidates or the political system in general.
  • They struggle to find the time to vote or a way to get to a voting location.
  • They don’t feel their votes make a difference.

In this guide, we’ll address all of these reasons by providing you with information to make the voting process simple. And we’ll explain why voting makes such a difference, especially if you’re not happy with the current political system.

Why Your Vote Matters

There are almost 350 million people in the United States, so you may also wonder why your vote makes any difference, as it’s just one vote.

Unfortunately, many young people just like you feel the same way, which is why they don’t take the trouble to vote. But it DOES matter! Your voice matters a lot! In fact, in Nevada, there are approximately 775,830 adults who have disabilities. That’s 1 in every 3 adults, or 32% of the state’s population — one-third of the state! As you can see, what people with disabilities think and feel about issues can make a huge difference! If every one of them voted, think about the positive impact that could have on your life and the lives of others with disabilities.

Even just one vote can make a big difference, in some cases. For example, in November 2021, there were 18 local elections in Ohio that ended in a tie. And in 2016, more than 340 state office elections were decided by fewer than 100 votes.

Sure, not every election comes down to a tie or even to less than 100 votes. But imagine you and every other young person you know decided not to vote: All of a sudden, there would be a lot of really important voices that don’t have a say in the issues that affect them every day.

In other cases, some people only consider voting every four years, when it’s time to elect a president. We see and hear about who’s running for president all the time, and it may be easy to make up your mind quickly about whom to vote for. But some other candidates running for office may be less well understood.

While a presidential election is very important, there are many other people and issues to vote on that can have a direct impact on your life — maybe even more than the president.

Your local school board, for example, makes decisions about what’s taught in school, how school budgets are spent, and any school district rules.

Your city council addresses community concerns such as housing, public safety, and local development.

And many people running for office could decide how the tax dollars you and your neighbors have paid will be spent within your community. All of these things and more can directly affect your life.

The best way to make your voice heard and be part of making important decisions is by voting. After all, if you can vote but choose not to, it’s not really fair to complain about how things are, is it?

So let’s talk about who can vote, how to register and vote, and other issues about voting that might affect you.

Who Can Vote?

Anyone can vote in a U.S. election who is:

  • A U.S. citizen
  • Age 18 or older on the day of the election
  • Living in the state where they registered to vote
  • Registered to vote by their state’s deadline (this differs by state)

If you meet these qualifications, you can only be denied the right to vote in Nevada if you:

  1. Have been found guilty of a felony and are imprisoned
  2. Have been deemed by a court of law to be mentally incompetent, or
  3. Can’t claim Nevada as your legal residence

Importantly, voting is a right, not just a privilege. It’s not something for only a special few. It’s for everybody. It’s meant to be inclusive, regardless of your background or abilities.

There are several laws that protect your right to vote and specifically address voting issues for people with disabilities. They include the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Voting Rights Act (VRA), and the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).

Among other things, these laws say that voters with disabilities have the right to:

  • Vote privately and without help
  • Have an accessible polling place with voting machines for voters with disabilities
  • Seek help from election workers trained to use accessible voting machines
  • Bring someone to help them vote, such as interpreters (except for an employer, any union members, or anyone who represents either of those)

You can also ask your state or local election office what other options you have.

By law, polling places (places where voting takes place) must have wheelchair-accessible voting booths, entrances and doorways that are at least 32 inches wide, handrails on all stairs, and voting equipment suitable for people who are blind or visually impaired. Any voting district where federal elections take place must have at least one accessible voting system at every polling place — one that guarantees equal access to privacy and independence, just as any other voter without disabilities would have.

Finally, our political system is a two-party system. A political party is a group of people with the same political goals and opinions. A political party works to vote candidates they like into government. In the U.S., we have two main political parties: Republicans and Democrats.

Other registered voters not in these parties are usually considered Independent.

In Nevada, only registered Democrats and Republicans (not Independents) may vote in their own party’s primary elections, which occur in even-numbered years, usually in the spring or early summer, ahead of the general election. A primary is an early election for a single political party in which its voters select their party’s nominee, which is the person who will represent them in the November general election. So unless you are a registered Democrat or Republican, you may not vote in a Nevada primary.

How and Where Can I Vote?

Election Day for any general election (which is every two years) takes place on the first Tuesday in November, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Pacific time. These hours may benefit those who work daytime hours, enabling them to vote before or after work.

Did you know that, by law, Nevada employers are also required to allow employees to take paid time out of work to vote on Election Day if they are unable to do so before or after work?

Also, while the State of Nevada does not consider Election Day a holiday, many schools and school districts close on that day, enabling students age 18 and up to vote during the school day.

Here in Nevada, two very important voting laws were passed in 2021 that also help to protect your voting rights.

  • Assembly Bill (AB) 321 requires a ballot to be mailed to every voter. This means that you can vote at home and put your ballot in the mail by Election Day instead of voting in person.
  • AB 121 allows voters with disabilities to use the Effective Absentee System for Elections (EASE), the same online system that military and overseas voters use.

Since many voters with disabilities may have difficulty getting transportation to polling places on Election Day, these two laws make voting even more accessible and easier by enabling you to vote by mail (called Absentee Ballots) during the month prior to Election Day. Once you register to vote (which will be discussed below), a ballot will automatically be mailed to you in advance of the election. Simply fill out the ballot at home with a pen, seal it inside the postage-paid envelope, and drop it in the mail!

Also, in Nevada, early voting is a period that begins 17 days before Election Day (the third Saturday before the general election) and ends four days before Election Day (the Friday before an Election Day). That means that during those 13 days, you can vote at any polling place in your county where early voting is offered. This offers you flexibility in time, day, and location in situations where work or other constraints make it difficult for you to vote on Election Day.

To see up-to-date early voting locations and schedules, visit the Nevada Secretary of State’s 2026 polling locations page.

How Do I Register to Vote?

Even though voting is for any adult who is eligible, you can’t just show up on Election Day and vote. First, you have to be registered.

When you register to vote, this means that the state has checked that you’re a U.S. citizen who meets the age and residency requirements. It helps to maintain accurate voter rolls, which are the lists of eligible voters in the state. And it helps election officials to ensure that all eligible voters have access to ballots and polling places near them. Plus, it creates a record so that if there are questions about who has voted and who hasn’t, there’s a way to check that no one has voted more than once, etc.

The good thing is that registering to vote is easy, and in Nevada, you can actually register to vote up until Election Day.

Here’s how to register:

  • In Person: You can register in person up to and on Election Day.
    • When you get your Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)-issued driver’s license or ID, you can register to vote as part of the process. Unless you opt out, your information will automatically be sent to the Secretary of State and your county, which will register you. (NOTE: You will automatically be registered as an Independent through this method. If you would like to change your party, in case you would like to vote in a party primary, you’ll have to go online to change your party affiliation.) If you get your license or DMV ID at age 17, you can preregister to become eligible when you turn 18.
    • You can also register in person at your county election office, your local DMV, and at many government offices. Political organizations often hold voter registration events as well. Here’s how to find where your local election office is located: Nevada county clerk contact information.
    • For details about same-day registration, to register on the day you vote, visit the same-day registration page.
  • Online: You can register to vote online up to 5 days before Election Day. Registering online is generally faster and more convenient, though it must be done in advance of election week. To register online, go to Nevada’s online voter registration.
  • By Mail: Your mail-in registration must be postmarked by 28 days before the election.
    • To register by mail, download and print out the form at this link, fill it out, then mail it to the state election office address provided. For assistance completing this form, call (775) 684-5705.
    • You can also use the accessible form-filler tool to fill your form out online. Download the form at this link, then print, sign, and mail it in.

Languages

Voting registration information is available online in English, American Sign Language, Chinese, Tagalog, Korean, Spanish, Thai, and Vietnamese at nvsos.gov/elections/voters.

Check Your Registration

Finally, it’s important to check your registration as time goes on. You may need to update personal details such as your address, party affiliation, name changes, etc. Also, while voter registration errors are few, they do occasionally happen. Be sure to check your information to be sure you are properly registered and know where and how to vote. Check your Nevada voter registration here.

The Arc, a community-based disability organization, also maintains a voter registration portal where you can check your registration status.

Make Your Voting Plan

Once you’ve registered, it’s time to start planning how and when you’ll vote. Here’s a checklist for you and anyone who will be assisting or accompanying you.

  • Check your registration to be sure it’s up to date and valid, showing your current address.
  • Be sure you know when it’s time to vote and how you plan to do so.
    • Will you be voting by mail? Be sure you have received your Absentee Ballot and mail the completed ballot by the deadline noted on the envelope.
    • Will you be early voting? Find the polling places that are most convenient to you and their hours of operation.
    • Will you be voting on Election Day? Be sure you know your polling place and hours.
  • Begin researching the candidates and issues that will be up for vote in the next election.
    • Every registered voter should receive a sample ballot in the mail. This booklet offers a preview of every race and question up for vote in the upcoming election. This booklet also provides information about your voting precinct (area), party affiliation, name and address of your polling place, and early voting schedule and locations. Read through this thoroughly to understand who is running and what issues are being considered.
    • Research candidates to familiarize yourself with the issues and candidates, going beyond simply the paid commercials you see online and on TV. Usually, political candidates have websites and social media accounts, and many newspapers and TV stations conduct interviews with candidates to talk about the issues that are important to them. You can also check FactCheck.org, which is a nonpartisan (not biased) site that keeps track of candidates’ statements about issues.
  • Determine what people and issues you’ll vote on. It may help to mark your Absentee Ballot or sample ballot and bring it to the polling place so you don’t forget what choices you’ve made. If you are voting by mail, fill out your Absentee Ballot, put it inside the provided, self-addressed, stamped envelope, seal it, and then mail it. You’re done!
  • If you plan to vote in person by early voting or on Election Day, figure out how and when you’ll go. Arrange transportation and ensure you have the time to vote, even if there are lines at the polling place. Know that there may be long lines; think about whether you will need to bring water, food, medications, or any equipment with you.
  • You can contact your state or local election office before Election Day to confirm your voting location has the accessibility accommodations you need. When you talk to them, be clear about what you need to make voting easy for you. You may also be able to ask for a ballot in your language or an alternative format (such as large print or audio). Other possible accommodations may include alternate signature requirements, such as typing your signature, as well as an accessible remote ballot marking system, which allows you to mark a ballot electronically, print it out, and then mail it or bring it back to your election office.
  • Be prepared to prove your identity at the polls. NOTE: Nevada does not require an ID to vote. However, it’s recommended that you bring along your ID, a registration card, your Social Security number, or some other form of identification in case of any unexpected issues.
  • Don’t wear any clothing or other accessories that support any candidates or issues. You may not be allowed inside your polling place if you do.
  • Inside the polling place, you will be asked for your name and signature and, perhaps, additional identifying information such as your address. The workers will check their lists and, once they find you, will cross your name off the list and hand you a card. You will use the card in the voting machine. The worker should explain to you or your interpreter how to use the card and how to cast your votes.
    • Voting machines show ballots on a screen.
    • Your machine can read the ballot to you, and you can use Braille voting.
    • You will be given a private space to complete your vote.
    • You have the right to ask for an accessible private space.
    • You are allowed to bring a person you trust — a friend, family member, interpreter, or even an election worker — into your voting booth to help you complete your ballot. But they should never choose your votes for you!
    • Once you’ve finished your ballot, the machine will ask you to double-check all your selections to be sure they’re counted correctly. Make sure to submit the final, approved ballot.
    • Tell the poll workers that you have finished and return the card.
    • You may be handed an “I Voted” sticker that you may decide to wear to show your pride at being a voter!

Note that you may be handed promotional materials by candidates or political groups outside your polling place. You can talk to them if you like, but you don’t have to. And you are NEVER required to tell anyone whom or what you are voting for — your vote is yours and yours alone. You may choose to share it or not, but that decision is up to you! And be sure that when you are inside the polling place, never talk to anyone about who you or they are voting for.

That’s it!

Helpful Resources

If you need additional help, here are several useful places to start.

General Voting Information and Federal Resources

The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) helps people overcome language barriers to voting.

If you or a loved one’s voting rights are denied, call 1-866-OURVOTE (1-866-687-8683) or contact your state Protection & Advocacy office.

State Resources