Voting is Critically Important if we are to Preserve and Defend our Lives and Rights

Voting does more than help elect officeholders. Through the act of voting, groups and individuals enfranchise themselves as active,powerful players in the world of ideas, issues and in the statehouses and arenas where policy decisions get made.

Politicians listen to voters. On the issues that matter most to our lives – ending waiting lists for affordable housing or attendant care, getting good rates and wages for attendants or an integrated education for children with disabilities – the disabilities community will fare better if more of us vote more consistently.

A Coalition Devoted to Encouraging Political Engagement

Members of the WDVC have come together to promote and encourage political participation and voting. In the 2006 Election, our focus is on:

Getting staff, program participants, board, clients and members involved in non-partisan Election Year Activities.

• WDVC will work with Coalition Members to help them get involved in the fall elections. Activities where help can be provided can include:
  • Volunteering as poll-workers on election day in your community.
  • Sponsoring a candidate forum or sending out a candidate questionnaire.
  • Conducting “get-out-the-vote” activities such as voter education drives, phone trees or other group activities designed to get people to the polls on November 7.
  • Registering people to vote.
  • Providing rides to the polls on Election Day.

Building a Disabilities Voting Bloc

• If coalition members are comfortable doing so, we ask that they share with us their mailing list or some portion of that list.
  • Our use of your list is prescribed by a legal contract we will sign with you that limits what can be done with the list.
  • We also are respectful of HIPAA and we will work with you to assure that the lists you provide do not violate any federal or state regulations including confidentiality and HIPAA
  • Our list is NOT part of the Voter Registration System being developed by the State.
• What the Coalition Will Do With the Lists:
  • Keep a copy and combine all the lists we receive in order to:
    • leverage the number of people on our list as evidence of the size of the Disability Voting Bloc.
    • conduct limited outreach to individual voters reminding them of the November Election.