Study: Mississippians with disabilities had high voter turnout in '16

Mississippi in 2016 saw relatively high voter turnout for people with disabilities, a study by Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations shows.

The survey showed that 63 percent of Mississippi's eligible voters with disabilities voted in the 2016 federal election, compared to 47 percent in Alabama, 51 percent in Arkansas, 59 percent in Florida, 58 percent in Georgia, 48 percent in Louisiana and 47 percent in Tennessee.

The survey showed a voting rate of 68.6 percent of eligible voters without disabilities.

However, Mississippi's percentage of voters with disabilities casting ballots was down from nearly 68 percent in 2012, the survey showed.

The survey was released Monday, the start of National Disability Voter Registration Week. It showed that nationwide, overall reported turnout was 55.9 percent for people with disabilities and 62.2 percent for people without disabilities.

"There was no gap in voter turnout between employed people with and without disabilities, indicating that employment helps provide resources and social contact that encourage voting," said professor Lisa Schur, one of the report's authors. 

The report showed the number of voters with disabilities has steadily increased from 14.7 million in 2008 federal elections to 16 million in 2016 — attributed to an aging population and medical advances. The "disability gap" has remained relatively stable, at 7.2 percentage points in 2008, 5.7 points in 2012 and 6.3 points in 2016.

Transportation issues kept nearly 7 percent of registered voters with disabilities from voting last year, compared to 1.8 percent of people without disabilities, the study said. Data were not yet available for 2016, but in 2012, 30 percent of people with disabilities reported problems at polling precincts.

ContactGeoff Pender at 601-961-7266 orgpender@gannett.com. Follow him onTwitter.