2016 is a unique election year when it comes to disability issues, according to researchers at Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations. Highlights from a Q&A with Professors Douglas Kruse and Lisa Schur, who predict voter turnout will be higher this year for people with disabilities and their family members:
Kruse, on the potential impact of these voters:
"We project that 35.4 million people with disabilities will be eligible to vote on Nov. 8, representing about one-sixth of the electorate. Perhaps more importantly, we project 62.7 million eligible voters who either have disabilities or household members with disabilities, representing over one-fourth of the electorate."
Schur, on what's different this year:
"Disability has not been a significant partisan issue in past elections, but that changed this year with the controversy created by Trump's behavior and the focus by Clinton on policies to expand employment for people with disabilities."
Kruse, on obstacles that voters with disabilities may encounter:
"Our 2012 national post-election survey found that 30 percent of voters with disabilities reported some type of difficulty in voting at a polling place, compared to 8 percent of voters without disabilities. The most common problems reported were difficulty in reading or seeing the ballot, or understanding how to vote or use voting equipment."
Read the full Q&A: "Voters with Disabilities and the 2016 Presidential Election."
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