For people with disabilities, it is critical to have a voice. Voting is my loudest voice. No question our government leaders have good intentions of providing support and resources, but they often fail on follow-through. We have so much to contribute to our community, state, and country.
–Megan Fry, self-advocate
As a young adult with extensive paralysis from cerebral palsy, Megan uses a power wheelchair, an eye-gaze device, and human assistance to participate in the activities of daily life. One of these activities: voting.
Megan’s mother, Andi Fry, is BridgingApps’ Coordinator of Montgomery County Outreach. This is Andi’s personal account of accompanying Megan to the polls on November 1, 2024.
The Preparations
Megan is in her mid-twenties and familiar with the voting procedure, including accommodations for disabled in-person voters. I remember the first time we got a go-ahead to bypass the main line: a volunteer spotted Megan as we entered, welcomed us with open arms, and waved us to the front.
It’s always important to know which candidates are active in funding disability programs and otherwise looking after the disabled community’s interests. Megan does her homework. Not limiting her sources to TV news and “whom should I vote for” websites, she reviews local, state, and national resources to find who best supports her values. We also have family discussions at home, to help clarify that all information is accurate.
Due to Megan’s mobility impairments, her schedule is very set, and getting out of the house is a challenge. So it’s important to choose the day, time, and polling place in advance. This year, we went to Mitchell Branch Library in The Woodlands.
We planned ahead by:
- Choosing a mutually convenient date (I had done my own voting a couple of days earlier; so, on November 1, I could focus on assisting Megan)
- Choosing a time when the polling place would be less crowded (4 p.m.)
- Going with an extra driver (Megan’s personal attendant) who could park the car after letting us out at the door
The Procedure
As a registered voter, Megan is fully responsible for her decisions. As a disabled person with little mobility, she needs technological and human assistance casting her vote, even in the most accessible polling place. So there were some extra requirements.
We were able to roll right up to the front of this big long line. At the check-in desk, Megan showed her ID and then signed in as a voter. We use a stamp with her official signature already on it: she nods “yes” to approve my using the stamp and to confirm the signature is going in the right place.
Since personal electronic devices are silenced at the polls, Megan also confirmed that she needed her tablet to vote, and that its speaker was off. A poll supervisor had to approve that.
Then they asked Megan if she needed assistance with the voting machine. She nodded “yes” and confirmed I was there to help her. (If she had come alone, the poll workers would have assigned someone to help.)
Then we had to walk over to a different desk and talk to an election judge. To ensure my assistance was in no way influencing her vote:
- Megan received written instructions to confirm I was there for physical help only.
- The judge had me swear a formal Oath of Assistance, confirming that Megan chose me of her own free will, and that I had not and would not try to influence any of her decisions.
Then they pointed us to an accessible voting booth, low enough for Megan to read the screen from her wheelchair. She signaled me to insert the paper ballot into the voting machine. I then pointed to the voting options one by one, and she okayed each right item when it was touched. (There were also some items she chose not to vote on.)
Finally, with the ballot officially cast, we rolled out to the middle of the parking lot and took a picture with the election judge.
The People
Throughout, there were lots of volunteers around watching the process, and I think they learned quite a bit from us. Everyone was very nice. Through all our experience in public activities, we’ve always found that others are eager to help. I’ve never met anyone who seems to consider us a burden.
All in all, it was a very good, empowering experience.