Voting Rights Being Denied to Those with Disabilities

The constitutional provisions in around 30 states allow that the right to vote be denied to those individuals with mental disabilities if a court has deemed them as “mentally incapacitated.” In some of these states, such a determination can be automatic if a person is found to need the help of a guardian to handle their money or be able to live on a day to day basis.

Supporters of the law insist that they prevent any fraud by ensuring that those people with disabilities are not taken advantage of at the polls. However, those disability advocates are saying that allowing voting rights to be taken away from these people on the strict basis of their disability is outdates, compared to the days when institutionalism was normal for these folks.