National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Seeks Public Input on Removing Barriers to Voting for People with Disabilities

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released for public comment a request for information (RFI) to remove barriers to voting for people with disabilities. The RFI is in response to Executive Order (EO) 14019 on Promoting Access to Voting. The public comments will inform NIST’s December 2021 report that will offer recommendations on how to overcome barriers that these voters with disabilities experience.

NIST will evaluate the steps needed to ensure that the online Federal Voter Registration Form is accessible to people with disabilities. NIST, in consultation with the Department of Justice, the Election Assistance Commission, and other agencies, will also analyze barriers to private and independent voting for people with disabilities, including access to voter registration, voting technology, voting by mail, polling locations, and poll worker training.

Public comments are due July 16, 2021. Comments may be submitted at www.regulations.gov under NIST-2021-0003 or by email at pva-eo@list.nist.gov. Complete instructions for comment submission can be found in the RFI.