Voting Assistance Available

[Guest guest]

Dear Friend of ASO:

Elections are fast approaching and persons with autism and their families should be aware that voting assistance is available in Ohio. Please see the information following my signature for more details. FYI - Please share.

Sincerely,

Barbara C. YavorcikPresidentAutism Society of Ohio701 S. Main St.Akron, OH 44311(330) 376-0211fax: (330) 376-1226email: askASO@...home: byavorcik@...web: www.autismohio.org-------------------------------------------------------

As election day approaches on November 8, 2006, persons with disabilities should be aware that they can have assistance with marking their ballots in the voting booth. Ohio law provides that any person who tells an election official at the polling place that he or she needs assistance with marking his or her ballot is entitled to receive assistance. That assistance can be provided in two ways:

Assistance from any person of the voter's choice (except for the voter's employer or agent of the employer, an officer or agent of the voter's labor union, or a candidate on the ballot); or If the voter prefers, assistance from two election workers from the polling place. Please note the following:

Precinct officials may not insist that the assistance be provided by election workers if the voter prefers to be assisted by a person of his or her choice. A precinct official may require that the voter state under oath that he or she requires help in marking the ballot. There are no limits or restrictions to the types of disabilities a voter might have in order to take advantage of this right to assistance. The right of assistance is guaranteed to Ohio voters through Ohio Revised Code Section 3505.24. The full text of that statute is as follows: "Any elector who declares to the presiding judge of elections that the elector is unable to mark the elector's ballot by reason of blindness, disability, or illiteracy may be accompanied in the voting booth and aided by any person of the elector's choice, other than the elector's employer, an agent of the elector's employer, or an officer or agent of the elector's union, if any. The elector also may request and receive assistance in the marking of the elector's ballot from two election officials of different political parties. Any person providing assistance in the marking of an elector's ballot under this section shall thereafter provide no information in regard to the marking of that ballot. Any judge may require a declaration of inability to be made by the elector under oath before the judge. Assistance shall not be rendered for causes other than those specified in this section, and no candidate whose name appears on the ballot shall assist any person in marking that person's ballot." The November 8, 2006 election is a purely state and local election, with no federal offices on the ballot. State election procedures, rather than federal laws, will likely be used to resolve conflicts. To avoid unnecessary disputes over which law applies, it may be advisable to assert one's right of assistance at this election under the state law detailed above, rather than under similar federal laws. More information about voter rights and assistance for people with disabilities is available in the Voting section ( http://olrs.ohio.gov/asp/olrs_Voting.asp) of the OLRS Web site, and also in the OLRS publication, Voter Rights and Assistance ( http://olrs.ohio.gov/asp/pub_VoterRights.asp). You can also contact Ohio Legal Rights Service at 1-800-282-9181 for consultation about voter rights and assistance.