The Metro: What Michigan’s midterm voting signals about access and equity
Audits show Detroit’s polling sites still fall short on accessibility, even as Michigan expands early voting. We explore what disabled voters faced this election — and what must change before the next one.
A mural in Detroit urging people to vote by local muralist Ndubisi Okoye.
Voters across Michigan wrapped up a midterm election yesterday that, for many, began weeks earlier during the state’s early voting window. For voters with physical disabilities, the right to cast a ballot is protected in state law and under federal protections like the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Help America Vote Act.
Yet audits in metro Detroit have repeatedly found the opposite on the ground. Last year, Detroit Disability Power reported that only 13% of polling places were fully accessible across nearly 300 sites. The Metro’s pre-election coverage highlighted widespread problems with entrances and accessible voting machines in metro Detroit.
On the heels of the midterm election, The Metro team wondered: What did access for disabled voters look like during early voting and on Election Day?
Eric Welsby, policy and advocacy lead at Detroit Disability Power, joined Robyn Vincent to discuss the persistent barriers he observed, and what can be done about it.
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