An event in Fairport on Monday will offer people with intellectual and developmental disabilities an opportunity to learn about voting.
It's a collaboration among the Arc of Monroe, the Monroe County Clerk's Office, the county's Board of Elections, and Assemblymember Jen Lunsford's office.
Attendees will have the opportunity to register to vote, learn how to use the county's new touchscreen voting machines, and sign up for a non-driver's ID.
Bekka Fifield, the Arc's advocacy manager, said the clients she works with show an eager interest in the democratic process.
"They are very well-informed," she added. "And when they don't know something, we go over it, we learn more about it. They're able to form their own opinions. No one tells them who they should be voting for. We give them the information, and they decide from there."
Mark Seccombe, 69, is active with the Arc Alliance, a self-advocacy group for people with disabilities. He said he voted in the 2024 presidential election and decided on his candidate by learning about the issues.
"I watch TV, and then they tell me on the news," he said.
A representative from the Board of Elections will speak at Monday's event about voting rights.
"Everybody has the right to vote," Fifield said. "It doesn't matter disability, it doesn't matter anything else. Everybody should be able to vote."
The voter registration event is scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Arc's Fairport day services site, 1387 Fairport Road.
