White House Grant Rule Could Threaten Voting Access for Disabled D.C. Residents

September 30, 2026

The White House Office of Management and Budget has proposed prohibiting federal grant money from being used for voter registration activities, which could significantly impact disability rights organizations in Washington, D.C. and nationwide. Disability Rights DC currently receives approximately $141,000 in federal funding through the Protection and Advocacy for Voting Access program to monitor polling locations, assist voters with disabilities, and address accessibility barriers at voting centers. The organization has documented widespread accessibility problems at D.C. voting locations, finding issues at roughly 70% of surveyed sites during recent elections.

Who is affected

People with disabilities (representing 10.9% of D.C.'s population, reaching 16.7% in Ward 8)
Disability Rights DC and University Legal Services
57 Protection and Advocacy organizations operating across all states, D.C., Puerto Rico, Native American communities, and U.S. territories
Nonprofits receiving federal grants for services like Medicaid and food assistance enrollment
Approximately 740,000 registered voters with disabilities nationally who reported registration difficulties
D.C. Board of Elections and election officials
Nursing home and assisted-living facility residents
Organizations using federal grants for non-election services while conducting voter outreach with private donations

What action is being taken

The Office of Management and Budget is proposing changes to federal grant rules to prohibit using federal award money for voter registration drives or related activities
Disability Rights DC is conducting accessibility surveys at voting centers and ballot drop boxes
Disability Rights DC advocates are making real-time recommendations at voting locations while elections are taking place
The D.C. Board of Elections is working with Disability Rights DC and the D.C. Office of Disability Rights on accessibility surveys
Amy Miller with Disability Rights Nebraska is traveling to nursing homes and assisted-living facilities offering voter-registration assistance

Why it matters

This proposal matters because it creates a fundamental conflict between executive action and congressional authority over appropriations, potentially undermining programs that Congress explicitly created and funded to protect voting rights for people with disabilities. The restriction threatens to eliminate essential services that have documented and remedied widespread accessibility problems—affecting tens of thousands of voters with disabilities who face disproportionate barriers to voter registration and participation. The rule could force nonprofits to choose between accepting federal funding for critical services and fulfilling their legal obligations under the National Voter Registration Act, ultimately risking the disenfranchisement of vulnerable populations who already experience registration difficulties at more than twice the rate of voters without disabilities.

What's next

The restriction would not take effect before the November 3 midterm election
Legal challenges are expected if OMB adopts the rule
Organizations may curtail voter-registration work before the 2028 presidential election due to uncertainty about compliance requirements

Read full article from source: The Washington Informer