Accessible voting with ME, Long-COVID and Fibromyalgia
With a provincial election less than a month away (October 19!), we wanted to take a moment to share some tips and tricks to make voting more accessible with chronic illness.
Option 1: Vote by mail
For many of us, getting out of the house can be a struggle – or not possible at all, depending on the severity of your illness or your symptoms on a given day. If this is true for you, voting by mail might be your best option. Everyone is eligible… you just need to sign up.
Request your vote-by-mail ballot today. The deadline to request your ballot online or by phone is October 13, but it’s best to do it ASAP. Be sure to have a form of identification handy (ie. your personal health number, your driver’s license, or BC Identification card).
Your vote by mail ballot is due to Elections BC by 8 p.m. on October 19. If you want to send it by mail, be sure to leave enough time for it to arrive. If you’re cutting it close, you can always drop off your vote by mail ballot in person at an Elections BC office or voting place. And if you’re too sick to leave the house, a trusted family member or friend could drop off your ballot for you – just make sure it’s already sealed in the return envelope.
Option 2: In-person voting
If you are able to leave the house, in-person voting could be an option for you! If this is your first time voting, or if you’ve moved, you can make the process smoother by making sure your voter information is up to date with Elections BC.
To beat the crowds (for sensory reasons and/or for reduced risk of Covid transmission), consider voting on an advanced voting day: October 10-13 and 15-16.
All voting places are accessible by wheelchair or other mobility device, according to Elections BC. You can find your local voting place on their website.
Option 3: Vote by phone
If the above options are not accessible to you – perhaps you are bedbound – then assisted telephone voting might be your way to vote.
You are eligible if “you have a disability or health condition which makes it unsafe or otherwise prevents you from voting by other means” or if you meet another of Elections BC’s eligibility criteria. You do not need any special medical documentation; you just need to formally attest that you meet the criteria.
Importantly, in order to vote by phone, your voter registration must be current as of October 7. Be sure yours is up to date.
BONUS: Engage with your candidates
Got your voting plan? Great! If you’d like to take your democratic engagement a step further, consider contacting your candidates to ask them what they’re going to do to improve care for people with ME, Fibromyalgia, and Long-COVID. We’ve created an Election Toolkit to help you do just that – check it out!
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