Getting to the polls when you have a disability can be a challenge for some voters.
To address those concerns, the Special Needs Network (SNN) is partnering with the Los Angeles County Registrar/Recorder County Clerk’s office to host a one-day accessible voting event on June 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at SNN headquarters at the intersection of Crenshaw Boulevard and Vernon Avenue.
SNN’s Flex Vote Center will offer an ADA-accessible facility for in-person voting, secure ballot drop-off services, provide a mobile center for same-day voter registration and offer assistance for all residents needing help navigating the voting process.
“A lot of times people think that people with disabilities aren’t interested in voting, which is a misconception,” said Ingrid Rivera-Guzman, SNN’s director of policy and advocacy.
The center is open to all LA County voters and is designed to provide voters with disabilities more accessibility to register, vote and receive election support services during the election process.
“Voters with disabilities make up the largest voting bloc in the country,” Rivera-Guzman said.
The LA Local contacted the LA Registrar’s office, but did not immediately not hear back.
About 37 million people with disabilities were registered to vote in 2024, according to the disabilities services nonprofit Easterseals. Despite the large voting bloc, many voters with disabilities continue to face barriers including inaccessible polling locations, transportation challenges and limited voter assistance resources.
As elections and voter turnout continue to shape policies affecting people with disabilities, SNN is encouraging residents to make their voices heard at the ballot box.
“You can drop off your ballot, you can vote at the center with assistance from staff with the registrar’s office and you can register and vote that same day,” Rivera-Guzman said.
SNN is a nonprofit whose mission is to respond to the autism crisis and other developmental disabilities in underserved communities, according to its website.
Rivera-Guzman said their initiative reflects the organization’s ongoing commitment to expanding access to the ballot, protecting voting rights and elevating the voices of people with disabilities throughout Los Angeles County.
“We also participate in National Voter Education Week in October and we plan to partner with the LA County Registrar’s office again in November,” Rivera-Guzman said.
For additional voting information, residents can visit plan.lavote.gov.
