What is the impact of the Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition?
Increasing Turnout and Building a Voting Bloc
Unlikely Voters Become Voters
The Disability Vote Coalition contacted thousands of voters unlikely to vote in 2004, 2006 2007, 2008, and 2010 by mail and/or phone to encourage them to become voters.
Our efforts have increased voter turnout among unlikely voters by an average of 16.5% over the five years for which data is available.
Learning About the Disability Community Through Survey Research
The Disability Vote Coalition conducted surveys by telephone to 600 individuals from the disability community 18 years old or older in 2008 and 2010 and found the following:
The top 2 reasons respondents had not voted in the past were:
- a perceived lack of knowledge about where candidates stand on issues (12% of all respondents) and
- a perceived lack of knowledge about current issues (7% of all respondents)
For people who have disabilities, younger people (ages 18-40) and older people (over 75) in the disabilities community requiring a photo ID to vote would be a greater barrier to voting that for others in the disabilities community.
PWD are 3x more likely than all respondents to say transportation is a barrier to voting (15%).
65% of the disabilities community tells us they are more likely to vote knowing they can register on Election Day.