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Vermont Business Magazine A new statewide disability voting rights coalition, REV UP Vermont, will launch on Town Meeting Day to address barriers that limit disabled Vermonters’ ability to fully participate in local democracy and to advance solutions that ensure equal access to voting, town meetings, and civic decision-making.
REV UP is a nonpartisan campaign from the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and stands for “Register, Educate, Vote, Use your Power!” REV UP Vermont joins 21 other state chapters across the nation with a shared mission to build the power of the disability vote through increasing civic engagement in the disability community and improving the accessibility of elections.
The REV UP Vermont coalition is led by disability advocates who have firsthand experience being denied the right to vote and participate in local democracy. These advocates have been local leaders in modernizing civic engagement in Vermont and working to create more equitable access for all voters. The coalition is volunteer-led, with financial support from AAPD and in-kind support from the Vermont Center for Independent Living and Disability Rights Vermont.
According to data from the Vermont Secretary of State’s Office, 68% of towns will use one or more floor votes for Town Meeting Day this year. That means that people not in the room (including many disabled residents and others who face barriers to attending in person such as working people, caregivers, incarcerated or unhoused residents, people without transportation, and those with safety concerns) will be prevented from voting for town and school budgets, officers, and public options in over 150 towns. In some places, only one or two percent of voters are able to weigh in on how local taxes are raised and spent.
“Democracy only works when everyone is able to participate”, said Alicia Weiss, Chair of the Plainfield Town Accessibility Advisory Committee. “Though many towns have worked hard towards more inclusive processes, we still have a long way to go as current interpretation of state law allows towns to suppress votes of those unable to be in the room. The disabled, poor, and elderly should be allowed to vote, too!”
Though current protections exist at the federal level such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as at the state level with public accommodations laws and Vermont’s constitutional rights to alter and reform government, advocates say that statutory changes are needed from the Legislature to ensure that all people–regardless of disability status– can have access to Town Meeting discussions and voting.
Making Town Meeting Day accessible strengthens Vermont’s democratic tradition by ensuring everyone can participate. Improving accessibility is not about dismantling a beloved tradition—it is about strengthening it so that it truly engages and represents all Vermonters.
In 2024, voters of Jericho moved their town meeting from floor vote to Australian ballot for just this reason. “Some people were anxious that this would result in less community engagement,” said Maria Rinaldi, co-chair of Jericho’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. “But what actually happened is that we have stronger local democracy, participation, and engagement because everyone finally has a seat at the table. The goal was to modernize the tradition without losing the community spirit. We had people thanking us because it was the first time they had ever been able to vote on our town budget.”
Vermont ranks 49th in the nation for disability access to voting, according to MIT’s Elections Performance Index — highlighting major barriers to participation. This is not a case of disabled voters being disengaged. This is a case of disabled voters being deterred, and their civil right to vote suppressed.
Building the Power of the Disability Vote
“Although REV UP is a national movement, we believe change happens at the local level”, said Alexia Kemerling, Director of Accessible Democracy at AAPD.
“We are excited for the momentum in Vermont, especially given the large disparities in voting access disabled people experience there.”
According to an analysis of the 2022 elections by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and Rutgers University, Vermont had the largest turnout gap, with disabled voters participating at a rate of 14.2 percentage points less than nondisabled voters, significantly higher than the 1.5-point national average. These gaps reflect barriers that make voting harder for disabled people.
“Year after year we receive calls from disabled Vermonters about Town Meeting Day, sharing that they are being denied their rights”, said Laura Cushman, attorney at Disability Rights Vermont. “Asking for accommodations on a case-by-case basis hasn’t worked. We need systems level change so everyone who wants to participate and vote can.”
Coalition members expressed hope that the newly introduced Vermont Voting Rights Act could provide the necessary framework to expand access to local elections and town meetings if key amendments were made to include universal Australian ballot and hybrid meeting access.
“What we’re working towards creating here isn’t revolutionary”, said recently resigned Act 133 Working Group member Kate Larose. “We imagine a Vermont where towns can still have their potlucks, but everyone can vote, too.”
The coalition’s first membership meeting will take place on Thursday, March 12, 2026, at 6:00 PM via Zoom. Advocates, community members, and allies are encouraged to attend and help shape efforts to expand accessible voting across Vermont. People wishing to learn more and attend can register at https://tinyurl.com/REVUPVermont.
AAPD is a national disability-led and cross-disability organization that advocates for full civil rights for the over 70 million Americans with disabilities. Since 2016, AAPD has worked to build the power of the disability vote through increasing civic engagement and improving election accessibility via its REV UP campaign. We support disability voting rights coalitions in 21 states and have engaged in disability voting efforts in 48 states. Coalitions are listed at aapd.com/revup-join/