Disability Rights Center of New Hampshire

Failure To Provide An Accessible Voting Device During Local Elections – Template ‘Notice of Filing a Federal Complaint’ Letter

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Coalition of Blind and Vision Impaired Voters Logo which includes a graphic of a voting box with the word VOTE on one side and a ballot entering a slit on the top of the box with a large black check mark. The box is red, blue, and purple.

“All elections are to be free, and every inhabitant of the state of 18 years and upwards shall have equal right to vote in any election.”
-NH State Constitution

 

Download and edit this Template ‘Notice of Filing a Federal Complaint’ Letter

Dear City/Town Clerk,

I am writing to tell you of my disappointment regarding my inaccessible voting experience on ________ (the date of the election). I notified you on ______(date), before the election, that I needed an accommodation to vote and requested that an accessible voting system be available to use. When I got to my polling place, there was no accessible way for me to vote privately and independently. I am willing to share further details with you.

New Hampshire citizens have the right to vote independently, privately, and with a secret ballot in federal, state, and local elections. Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act establish specific protections and require that equal access is provided for people with disabilities, including the right to vote. Because I was denied an accessible means to vote, I plan to file an ADA complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice and notify the New Hampshire Attorney General’s office of my experience.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Name:

Phone:

Email:

Download and edit this Template ‘Notice of Filing a Federal Complaint’ Letter

Download and edit Template Letter Requesting an Accessible Voting Device During Local Elections

Learn more about filing a complaint at https://www.ada.gov/file-a-complaint/

Access the online complaint form here: https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/

Contact the NH Attorney General’s Office at:

33 Capitol Street
Concord, NH 03301-6397
Telephone: (603) 271-3658 or 1-866-868-3703
Fax: (603) 223-2110
Email: electionlaw@doj.nh.gov

Additional Information & Resources

Coalition Partners

Consumer and Individual Partners

Rep. Mark Paige, Fred Fournier, Jean Shiner, Dana Trahan, Andrew Harmon

Organizational Partners

Organizational logos for New Hampshire Vocational Rehabilitation, National Federation of the Blind, Future In Sight, Granite State Independent Living, New Hampshire Council on Developmental Disabilities, and Disability Rights Center - New Hampshire

About DRCNH

Disability Rights Center – New Hampshire is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating barriers for people with disabilities across New Hampshire. DRC is the federally designated protection and advocacy agency for New Hampshire and has authority under federal law to conduct investigations in cases of probable abuse or neglect.

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