Exercise Your Right to Vote sarah April 8, 2025
  • April 8, 2025

Exercise Your Right to Vote

Electronic voting machine set up on a stand next to a printer on a small table.
The Access Station is available to voters who may have difficulty marking a paper ballot with a pen. Photo credit: Hamilton County Board of Elections
A secure 24-hour drop box for the Board of Elections in Hamilton County, Ohio, located in a parking area, is shown.
The Board of Elections has a secure drop box for voters to return absentee ballots. Photo credit: Ryan Braun

Voting Tips and Resources

Voting is an important way you can take part in your community. It allows you to be independent while making choices that concern your life.  

Election Day is Tuesday, May 6. Voters will participate in the primary election, which includes selecting candidates for local offices. Many communities also have different issues on the ballot. To see what’s on your specific ballot, visit the Hamilton County Board of Elections website and enter your address.

Hamilton County has several accessible voting options for people with disabilities. These include: voting by mail, curbside voting, a remote ballot marking system, and voting machines with audio ballots or large text.  

Voting Checklist
  • You can vote if you are registered and at least 18 years old by Election Day. The last day to register to vote was Monday, April 7.  
  • You can ask your guardian, friend or family member to support you when you vote, either at the polls or at home. 
  • If you vote in person, you must have a valid photo ID. This is a new law passed in 2023. Bank statements, utility bills or other documents are no longer valid forms of identification.  
  • If transportation is difficult, you can vote at home using an absentee ballot. You can then mail your ballot back to the Board of Elections or drop it off in person. 

Visit VoteHamiltonCountyOhio.gov  for the latest information about this election. You can also contact Advocacy Support Advisor Diana Mairose with questions, diana.mairose@hamiltonddsohio.gov.  

Make Your Voice Heard

This year, many advocates have been speaking up about proposals in Congress that could significantly reduce Medicaid funding. Disability advocacy groups like ANCOR and The Arc have developed resources to help you make your voice heard on this topic.

Visit TheArc.org or Ancor.org/amplifier to learn more. You can also tell elected officials why Medicaid is important to you and other people with developmental disabilities.

If you need assistance with advocacy, reach out to Amber Cowart at Amber.Cowart@HamiltonDDSOhio.gov.

Disability Rights Peer Support Group

Do you want to improve your disability advocacy skills? Join Independence Alliance for their monthly peer support group. You’ll learn how to advocate for yourself and others, get answers to questions about reasonable accommodations, and talk about disability rights. You’ll also have a chance to meet other people who are working together to make the community more accessible.

The Disability Rights Peer Support Group meets at 6 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month on Zoom. ASL interpreters are available. Contact Jenise Brassell, (513) 246-0319 or jenise@independencealliance.org, for more information.

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