Accessible Voting

Accessible Voting

You have the right to vote privately and independently. Please call the San Diego County Registrar of Voters (858) 565-5800 or toll free at (800) 696-0136 if you have questions about accessible voting in San Diego County.

Voters who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech-disabled may use the California Relay Service (CRS) by dialing 711 to use the telephone system via a text telephone (TTY) or other devices to call the Registrar’s Toll-Free Voter Phone Line. CRS supports the following modes of communication: TTY, VCO, 2LVCO, HCO, STS, VASTS, ASCII, or Voice.

American Sign Language Guide to Voter Registration 

Vote by Mail

  • Voting by mail gives you the opportunity to vote conveniently and privately in your own home
  • It's SIMPLE. Your ballot arrives in your mailbox (or inbox – check out Remote Accessible Vote by Mail below)
  • It's SMART. Make voting decisions and complete your ballot comfortably at home
  • It's SECURE. Seal your ballot in your postage-paid envelope, then:
  • Sign it » Date it » and Return it Promptly » so it is received well before Election Day.
  • Learn more about voting by mail » 

Remote Accessible Vote by Mail (RAVBM)

  • Any voter may request and receive access to a Remote Accessible Vote by Mail System
  • Commonly used by voters with a disability or voters deployed overseas serving in the military
  • Allows a voter to download a ballot on a personal computer and mark it privately and independently using their own assistive technology
  • After marking their ballot, the voter will have an option to review their choices
  • After reviewing, the voter will print and return their ballot using the printable envelope template included in their RAVBM instructions
  • Like any mail ballot, RAVBM ballots must be sealed inside an envelope, signed, and returned by mail or at any Voter Center or Ballot Drop Box
  • Remote Accessible Vote by Mail Disability Rights California PSA

Interested in using the Remote Accessible Vote-by-Mail System? Sign up here

Questions? Call  (858) 565-5800, toll-free at (800) 696-0136 or How To Vote By Mail

Accessible Voting Machine

Accessible Ballot Marking Devices

  • Every vote center will have accessible ballot marking devices that are fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
  • The Registrar of Voters office will also have accessible ballot marking devices for use starting 29 days before Election Day

San Diego County’s ballot marking device lets you go through your ballot independently and privately with features such as:

  • Touchscreen tablet, with options to change text size and contrast
  • Handheld controller with braille
  • Headphones and audio instructions in English, Spanish, Filipino, Vietnamese, and Chinese
  • Privacy mask, for voters with low vision, to ensure their votes are kept private as they use the audio instructions
  • The ability to use your own paddle, or sip and puff assistive device

This device does not tabulate or count any votes. After you confirm your selections, you must print your official ballot and place it in the ballot box so it can be counted at the Registrar’s office.

  • Let the poll workers know if you have questions or need assistance with the ballot marking device

Learn how to mark your ballot using the ballot marking device »

Assistance at Vote Centers

  • One or two people such as a family member, friend or poll worker can assist you with your ballot
  • However, you cannot be assisted by your boss or union representative
  • Assistance may include reading the ballot aloud or marking your ballot as you have directed
  • Whoever helps you cannot tell you how to mark your ballot or tell others how you voted
  • Poll workers have a magnifying sheet that can be used to magnify text on voting materials

Vote Center and Ballot Drop Box Location Accessibility

Vote centers and ballot drop box locations are selected using the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines and the Secretary of State’s accessibility checklist. This checklist is used to find accessible locations.

If needed, vote centers may be provided with threshold ramps for short rises to enter rooms, cones to identify hazards, and mats to cover slipping hazards. Most facilities will be asked to leave doors to the voting room open for accessibility. There will be signs at each vote center that display a phone number you may call to request curbside voting without entering the vote center.

If you have questions about the physical access to a vote center or ballot drop box location, call (858) 565-5800 or toll free at (800) 696-0136 and ask for Precinct Services or email rovmail@sdcounty.ca.gov. ​

Curbside Voting

  • Anyone who cannot physically access a vote center, may request to vote curbside
  • Poll workers can bring a ballot marking device to you
  • You may sit in your car and vote, or you may vote at the door of the building
  • Call (858) 565-5800 or toll free at (800) 696-0136 before heading to your vote center to make these arrangements
  • Additionally, each vote center will have signs displaying a phone number a voter may call to request curbside voting without entering the vote center

Want to get more involved?

You may want to be part of Voter Accessibility Advisory Committee (VAAC) that advises the Registrar of Voters on accessibility and outreach.

Voter Accessibility Advisory Committee (VAAC) »

VAAC Application »

How was your Voting Experience?

The Registrar of Voters is committed to making your voting experience as convenient and satisfying as possible. 

  • We ask voters with accessibility needs to give us feedback on your experience at the vote center. Please download and return our survey about your experience at the vote center.

Signing Election Related Documents

If you cannot sign your own name and have no other legal mark, make an "X," if possible, on the signature line. You must have another person sign as a witness. ​

You may use an approved signature stamp to sign your election related documents. Click here​ for more information about signature stamps and voting.

For more information about signing election materials or using a signature stamp, please call (858) 565-5800 or toll free at (800) 696-0136 or email rovmail@sdcounty.ca.gov.

More

  • Need translations? Click here »
  • People in conservatorships have a right to vote if they can express a desire to do so. Anyone previously disqualified can ask for a reinstatement by writing a letter to the court. For more information see http://spectruminstitute.org/

 

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