Voting Assistance

The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) requires that every polling place be equipped with a voting system that is accessible for individuals with disabilities, providing them the opportunity to vote privately and independently. All polling places are fully accessible with clearly marked accessible doors and parking spaces. 

 

You may receive help from...

 

  • Family, friends or neighbors
    • You can bring a family member, friend, neighbor or anyone you choose to help you vote. The only exception is that you can't get help from someone from your employer or from your union.
    • Your assistant can help you in all parts of the voting process, including in the voting booth. You can show your ballot privately to an election judge to check that it is correctly marked.
    • Helpers are not allowed to influence your vote or share how you vote with others.

  • A ballot marking machine

    • Most polling places have a ballot marking machine that can mark a ballot for you. It gives you privacy if you cannot (or choose not) to vote using a pen.
    • The machine has a screen that displays the ballot in large print or with a high-contrast background. It can also read the ballot to you through headphones.
    • You can fill out your ballot using a Braille keypad, touchscreen or sip-and-puff device. After you make your choices, it prints your completed ballot.
    • Our AutoMark Voter Assist Terminal is available for voters with disabilities and other special needs.  This assistance includes an audio function that allows blind voters or those with severely impaired vision to listen to the choices through headphones and a zoom feature that enables voters to increase the font size of each race listed on the optical scan ballot.

  • Election judges

    • Election judges are there to help you through the entire process of voting.

    • If you need help marking your ballot, two election judges from different political parties can assist. They are not allowed to influence your choices or tell others how you voted.


Curbside Voting

  • If you cannot easily leave your vehicle to enter the polling place, you can ask to have a ballot brought out to you. This is known as "curbside voting".
  • Two election judges from different major political parties will bring out a ballot to your vehicle. If you need to register or update your registration, they will bring you an application as well.
  • When you are finished voting, election judges will bring you ballot inside for you and put it in the ballot box.
  • For more details on curbside voting, please call the Chisago County Election's Office at 651-213-8500 or email before going to the polling place.