New Horizons Un-Limited Inc.
2012 Presidential Election
"Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us.
The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country." - Franklin D. Roosevelt
Voting Process
Step 1: Know Your Rights
There are numerous policies in place to ensure that every eligible voter is given the opportunity to cast a vote. Here is a great resource that offers links to resources on voting with a disability.
Step 2: Register to Vote
In a number of states you must register to vote as far as 30 days in advance of the election. Each state has varying deadlines and requirements for registration (including residency requirements), so please contact your state election office to ensure you are prepared to register in time for this year's presidential election on Tuesday, November 6th.
Keep in mind that you must be registered with the municipality in which you live. To learn more about your state's voter registration guidelines, visit Project Vote Smart: Voter Registration and select your state.
Step 3: Educate Yourself on the Candidates and Their Policies
Do not simply rely on the campaign commercials splashed across your television screen; read up on the candidates' stances on the issues, check out their voting records, get to know them inside and out. We have offered a number of resources below to help you get to know the candidates.
Step 4: Cast Your Vote
- Absentee Voting
As an individual with a disability, you may qualify to vote via the mail with an Absentee Ballot. You will want to request an Absentee Ballot several weeks before the election to ensure that you are able to return it by November 6th. To learn more about your state's absentee ballot guidelines, either contact your state election office or visit Project Vote Smart: Voter Registration, select your state and scroll down to view the absentee ballot section.
- Polling Place Assistance
If you plan to vote at the polls on election day, assistance is available. The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) requires that all polling places have at least one accessible voting machine to enable people to vote privately and independently. You may also bring an idividual to assist you, provided they are not an officer or agent of your employer or union. Assistance is also available at your polling place.
Back to Top
The Nominees
The Democratic and Republican nominees for this year's Presidential election are set. Barack Obama will represent the Democratic Party, and Mitt Romney will represent the Republican Party.
It is up to you to decide who will best lead our country into the future.
Be an educated voter!
Want to know where the Presidential candidates stand on Disability Issues?
See the video or transcript from the National Forum on Disability Issues
A coalition of Disability Organizations hosted a National Forum on Disability Issues, on Friday, September 28 from 11:30 – 2:30 CDT. Each of the Presidential Candidates sent representatives to speak on their behalf on Disability Issues. The National Forum was held in Columbus, Ohio so Ohio state representatives also spoke. Download the full NFDI2012 transcript, as recorded by the live open-captioning service or Watch the entire NFDI2012 webcast here on YouTube. 18 separate chapters are posted to allow for faster download, buffering, and navigation. To learn more about the National Forum on Disability Issues, visit this website www.nfdi.org.
Visit each campaign's website to learn more about each candidate's policy positions on the issues that are most important to you.
Back to Top
Important Election 2012 Events
Republican National Convention, August 27-30, 2012
Democratic National Convention, September 4-6, 2012
2012 Presidential and Vice Presidential Debates
All debates will take place from 9:00 - 10:30 pm (Eastern Time)
First presidential debate:
Wednesday, October 3
University of Denver, Denver, CO
Topic: Domestic policy
Moderator: Jim Lehrer, Executive Editor of the PBS NewsHour
Vice presidential debate:
Thursday, October 11
Centre College, Danville, KY
Topic: Foreign and domestic policy
Moderator: Martha Raddatz, Senior Foreign Affairs Correspondent, ABC News
Second presidential debate:
Tuesday, October 16
Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY
Topic: Town meeting format including foreign and domestic policy
Moderator: Candy Crowley, Chief Political Correspondent, CNN and Anchor, CNN's State of the Union
Third presidential debate:
Monday, October 22
Lynn University, Boca Raton, FL
Topic: Foreign policy
Moderator: Bob Schieffer, Chief Washington Correspondent, CBS News and Moderator, Face the Nation
Back to Top
The Issues
The following websites give a side-by-side comparison of the candidates on a range of important issues.
More websites will be added as they are made available.
Council on Foreign Relations: Campaign 2012
Learn how the candidates stand on relations with and polcies on China, North Korea, Iran, Irag, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, etc. As well as Energy Policy, Immigration, Homeland Security and much more.
Tax Policy Center: 2012 Election Tax Plans
TPC has analyzed the distributional effects of tax proposals from President Obama, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, and Republican vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan.
The Health Care Blog: 2012 Election
This blog, regarded as ̉the leading insider voice in the field" by the The Wall Street Journal, runs guest posts by influential bloggers across healthcare every day, featuring pieces by observers at the center of the stories transforming the field.
Back to Top
General Election Resources
CNN Politics: America's Choice 2012: Election Center provides news on the candidate's campaigns, and provides overviews of the candidate's stances on main issues
C-Span: Campaign 2012 posts video clips of the candidates addressing campaign issues
Fox News: 2012 Elections provides the latest candidate news
Politifact.com provides unbiased fact checks on candidate's campaign statements
Project Vote Smart provides numerous tools to help you determine which candidate best addresses your needs and desires for America
Back to Top
For more on the topic of Legislation:
Community and Internet Resources / Editorials / FAQ / Guides / Legislation and Rights
/
Court Decisions /
News / Books / News Publications and Media
If you have questions or ideas, information and solutions that you would like to share with us, you may contact us by e-mail at: horizons@new-horizons.org or to use our NHU E-Mail Form or NHU Community Forum, click on the links below.
© Copyright 2012 New Horizons Un-Limited Inc.
[Updated October 31, 2012]
NHU has no liability for content or goods on the Internet.
