Voter Assistance Teams (VAT) help voters with disabilities in Multnomah County

September 7, 2010

How do voters read a ballot if they are blind? How do they mark their selection if they can’t hold a pen? Multnomah County Elections Division’s Voter Assistance Teams (VAT) assist county voters who face varying challenges in participating in the election process. In recent elections, VAT brought services to 50-200 people who requested voter assistance.

In 2006, Elections conducted an extensive process to identify care facilities and individuals in our community who were in need of voter assistance services. Since then, Elections has worked to improve VAT services and develop a manageable program for Multnomah County voters.

For every election, Elections forms two to six voter assistance teams that are made up of two workers of different political party affiliation. These teams help voters with reading and marking the ballot, as well as setting up Accessible Computer Station (ACS) equipment. The ACS technology allows voters to use assistive technology to complete the voting process in private. Voters can request use of the ACS at home or they can use it in the Elections Division office. The Elections Division also emails ballots to those who have their own assistive technology at home.

Most current team members have been working for VAT for four years or more and are dedicated to giving quality service to the voters they are assisting. VAT members are trained and given opportunities to become familiar with the procedures and ACS equipment. They are required to take the equipment to a person’s home, set it up, make sure it is functioning properly, and troubleshoot any problem that arises.

When the voter has finished voting, the VAT member is required to return the ballot to the Elections office, unless the voter elects to keep it and return it on their own. After each election, the Elections Division works on streamlining its procedures to ensure that the most cost-effective and efficient services are being provided. For example, after the last election, a tracking spreadsheet was developed that automates and simplifies calculation of the hours and costs each team spends at a facility where they are helping voters.

If you or anyone you know would like to use VAT services, call 503-988-3720. For more information about voter assistance, view the Secretary of State’s voter assistance brochure and MultCo Elections' voter resources page.