Source: Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities

Proclamation Promotes Voter Registration, Education and Engagement among Georgians with Disabilities

As part of its participation in Rev Up Georgia, the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) recognizes the power of the disability vote as Governor Nathan Deal declares July 16-20 Disability Voter Registration Week in Georgia.

Rev Up Georgia is the local arm of the national, non-partisan Rev Up Campaign, which aims to increase the political power of people with disabilities and engage candidates and the media to recognize the disability community. Rev Up stands for “Register! Educate! Vote! Use your Power!”

Through their membership in Rev Up Georgia, representatives from GCDD were onsite to accept a signed proclamationfrom Governor Deal on July 18 at the Georgia State Capitol Building. The proclamation represents Georgia’s commitment to the tenets of National Disability Voter Registration Week, an initiative that encourages constituents with disabilities to become more politically active. The brainchild of the Rev Up Campaign, National Disability Voter Registration Week occurs each year during the third week of July.

The proclamation also signifies the importance Georgia places on getting people with disabilities registered to vote, educated about upcoming elections and prepared to cast a ballot in November. In fact, per U.S. Census data, Georgia counts an estimated 1.3 million residents with disabilities among its population.

“We’re proud of our democratic process in Georgia, and we understand voting is an essential part of that process,” said Eric Jacobson, Executive Director of GCDD. “We’re grateful to Governor Deal for taking this step to foster informed and welcoming communities that include all constituents.”

In addition to GCDD, organizations that signed the request for proclamation include ADAPT Georgia, the Arc Georgia, disABILITY LINK, the Georgia Advocacy Office, the LIFE Center for Independent Living, Rev Up Georgia and the Shepherd Center.

To register to vote, go to https://registertovote.sos.ga.gov/GAOLVR/welcome.do#no-back-button
For more information, check out GCDD’s Disability Guide to Voting

About Rev Up Georgia
Rev Up Georgia is a statewide, non-partisan network of individuals and groups dedicated to increasing participation in the electoral process by people with disabilities. The program is the local arm of a national Rev Up Campaign from the American Association of People with Disabilities. The campaign aims to increase the political power of the disability community while also engaging candidates and the media on disability issues. Rev Up stands for “Register! Educate! Vote! Use your Power!”

Link: Go to website for News Source https://gcdd.org/

This article was posted on July 19, 2018 on the Southeast ADA website news.