Feel the POWER of the VOTE

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Feel the POWER of the VOTE!

• Rachel Freund
• PA Mental Health
• Consumers Association

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A Voting Factoid

• According to the latest census, 35 million
  Americans with disabilities are of voting age.
  This means that voters with disabilities are now
  one of the largest potential voting blocs in
  American politics.

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The Disability Vote is a sleeping giant!
Compared to our non-disabled peers, were 15
less likely to be registered to vote 20 less
likely to vote if registered.
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Whats that got to do with ME?

• They say knowledge is power.
• But when it comes to politics, votes are power.
• The antidote to stigma and discrimination now
  has a name the VOTE
• - Ken Steele, Founder of the MH Voter
  Empowerment Project in New York, who registered
  over 28,000 consumers to vote in his lifetime

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Voters as Advocates

• Citizenship is an important part of being
  included in the community
• One of the primary rights of a citizen is to
  VOTE!
• People who don't vote have no line of credit
  with people who are elected and thus pose no
  threat to those who act against our interests."
• Marian Wright Edelman, Children's Defense Fund

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How can we grow our culture of voters?Follow
three steps- use the Motor Voter Law- activate
the grassroots- make sure your numbersget
counted!
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Use the National Voter Registration Act- the
Motor Voter Law !

• State funded disability service organizations
  MUST
• Regularly offer voter registration opportunities
• Report their numbers
• Department of State must report to the PA General
  Assembly and the US Congress

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Are disability agencies doing their job?

• State and federal reports say No!
• The most recent report to Congress shows that
  only 1,070 people with disabilities in
  Pennsylvania were registered to vote between 2004
  and 2006 by their disability service organization
  

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Challenging numbers for Pennsylvania

• Over the last two year period
• All NVRA registrations 2,159,498
• Disability agency registrations 1,070

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County data is grim

• Registrations by disability service agencies
• Lackawanna 0
• Luzerne County 0
• Wyoming County 3
• Susquehanna County 0

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Why arent agencies doing this?

• Some dont know federal law requires them to do
  this
• Some dont know what to do, or how to do it
• Some have trouble finding the staff
• Some agencies confuse this duty with the ban on
  doing partisan political activities this isnt
  that!

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The We-cant-do-that Myth

• The U.S. Congress, in the National Voter
  Registration Act (NVRA), says that all
  state-funded agencies that provide services to
  people of any disability group are required to
  offer voter registration opportunities regularly
  and to report on their efforts
• The 501(c)(3) Cardinal Rule All activities must
  be non-partisan. No particular candidate or
  party can be promoted

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Most agencies dont know the code

• Who knew that above the return address of the
  voter registration form was a special code for
  disability service organizations to use?
• To show where the registration came from -
• Disability service organizations should X out
  2
• Centers for Independent Living should X out B

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Activate the grassroots!

• Actions and activities
• for advocates
• Give people good information
• Small discussion groups
• Big, exciting events
• and lots of activities
• Printed information
• Connect people to actions that matter to them
• Use a positive, uplifting approach people want
  to be inspired!

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Even if nothing changes, we feel like we gave it
our best shot!
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Voters (connectors)

• Talk about politics
• Believe voting is a privilege
• Believe that civic participation CAN make a
  difference

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Non-voters (on-the-verge voters)

• Feel they dont have enough information
• See voting as a waste of time
• Dont believe they get much out of government
• (A Briefing on Young Voters, Greenberg and
  Carpenter)

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What Agencies CAN Do

• Get consumers involved in the process!
• Do voter registration, education and
  Get-Out-the-Vote activities
• Sponsor Candidate Forums Use your facility as a
  meeting hall
• Distribute Candidate Questionnaires and publish a
  Voter Guide Educate candidates

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Make sure your numbersget counted!

• Check out the Report to the PA General Assembly
• Find out who reports your numbers
• Remember to mark the Voter Registration Forms

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Why voting is so important

• Politicians listen to people to vote
• Politicians make decisions that affect our lives
  everyday
• Rich or poor everyone gets one vote

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Potential Partners

• Disability Voting Coalition of PA www.dvcpa.org
• League of Women Voters www.lwv.org
• Agencies
• Citizen Action Groups, (like ACORN, Community
  Development Centers, etc)
• Others

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For more information contact Rachel Freund,
Pennsylvania Mental Health Consumers Association
(PMHCA) 412-621-4706 or rfreund_at_verizon.net