Hennepin County makes voting easier for Minnesotans with disabilities

Minnesota ranks top in the nation for voter turnout. Now, new technology available in

Hennepin County will help make it possible for even more eligible voters to cast a ballot.

It’s called ExpressVote.

“This is great for individuals with disabilities or those who just need another way to mark their

ballot,” said Nathan Janicek, Hennepin County community liaison.

According to 2022 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, there are

1,001,956 adults with disabilities in Minnesota. This is a population with legislation concerns

that affect their daily lives, including housing, employment, health care, and transportation.

ExpressVote is an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant voting solution that allows

every voter, particularly those with physical, perceptual, or cognitive disabilities, to cast a ballot

independently.

“ExpressVote is just a really slick, high-tech machine that offers a smooth process for marking

your ballot,” Janicek explained. He said there are several ways to use ExpressVote, including a

touchscreen option for making selections, a braille keypad for those with visual impairments, or

a two-button control system. After you put your paper ballot into the machine, it will display

your choices in large print. When you make choices, they are noted in a high-contrast

background. ExpressVote can also read off selections to the voter wearing headphones to make

choices and ensure the voter’s selections are correct before submission. 

“The most popular is the touch screen option, just marking your ballot right on the screen,”

Janicek said. “It will show all the races in your election, and you can just select. You put the

ballot in the machine, and it marks it for you to review.” Janicek said the ballot is then printed

out to be placed in the tabulator just like any other ballot.

“A lot of voters who have used this machine are very pleased with the accessibility options,”

Janicek added.

ExpressVote became an option in Hennepin County starting in 2025. It is also being

incorporated in a growing number of counties across Minnesota.

To learn more, go to:

https://www.hennepin.us/residents/elections/accessible-voting. You can also see a

demonstration of how ExpressVote works here:

https://www.hennepin.us/residents/elections/accessible-voting