Vote the Spectrum aims to broaden the spectrum of democracy
“Between red and blue is a spectrum,” Denise Resnik, founder of First Place AZ which introduced Vote the Spectrum
There are 35 million adults with a disability eligible to vote in the U.S., including the estimated 100,000 people with autism who turn 18 every year. They are enough to help determine local, state and national elections, including who becomes President.
Yet, only 17.7 million of those people with disabilities reported voting in the 2020 presidential election, according to Rutgers University researchers.
Barriers to voter registration and ballot access, including lack of accommodations at polling locations, are among the top reasons. Lack of information about basic voter rights is another.
That's why First Place AZ, led by CEO and founder, Denise Resnik, launched VotetheSpectrum.org, a nonpartisan movement that started in 2021 registering and educating voters with disabilities in Arizona.
“Between red and blue is a spectrum,” said Resnik, mother of an autistic adult. "In order to form a more perfect union, everyone needs to participate in the process, including those with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities."
First Place AZ's work now serves as a blueprint for use nationwide. Learn more about what they are doing below and find out more at VotetheSpectrum.org.
The initiative offers a series of accessible voting workshops which include mock elections. According to Resnik, the purpose is to help people with autism spectrum disorder and other disabilities a chance to practice all steps of the voting process so they feel more at ease when casting their ballots.
The disabled community’s needs can only be met when those who exercise their voting privilege support those who cannot.
Democracy Doesn't Work Unless We Work At It
The voice of every person in our community is important, especially people living with autism and other disabilities.
