NCIL is proud to announce the 2018 GOTV (Get Out the Vote) Guide is now available! This newly updated guide now includes information to help organizations and individuals plan and implement a GOTV strategy through phone banking, text banking, and social media. The guide includes information on messaging, best practices, and toolkits available to help you encourage your consumers, members, friends, and family to vote.
The 2018 midterm elections have already shown to be critical, with many underdog candidates winning their primaries in surprising upsets. GOTV efforts are a way for people with disabilities to make a difference in local, state, and national elections, often from their homes.
To view the GOTV Guide and other useful election-related materials, go to www.ncil.org/votingrights. If you have any questions about this guide, please email NCIL Disability Vote Organizer Sarah Blahovec at sarah@ncil.org.
Under US law, individuals seeking admission to the US or seeking to become lawful permanent residents (green card holders) can be denied if they are found likely to become a “public charge”. Currently, the term “public charge” refers to an individual who is likely to become “primarily dependent on the government for subsistence” by either the receipt of public cash assistance or institutionalization for long-term care – a definition that clearly already disproportionately impacts disabled immigrants. The proposed changes would significantly broaden the definition of “public charge” to include immigrants who receive one or more public benefits, dramatically expanding the benefits that could be considered to include non-emergency Medicaid (with a few exceptions), housing assistance, SNAP, and certain healthcare subsidies. Immigrant families could be denied entry or residency if they use, or are “likely” to use, any of this wide range of assistance programs. 
Trends change. Keeping an eye on changes in the business environment can help community based organizations (CBOs) identify ways to expand their businesses, modify their practices or meet new and enhanced outcomes for the people they serve.
The protest at Senator Garner’s office comes on the heels of protests at several other Senators’ offices, including Senators Ted Cruz (TX) and Lamar Alexander (TN) yesterday, and Senators Johnny Isakson (GA), Jeff Flake (AZ), and Ben Sasse (NE) earlier today.
This report is an opportunity for advocates to see what is happening elsewhere, to compare how your state is doing. For example, 24 states specifically included people with disabilities as a beneficiary of the trust fund, with 5 states choosing to focus exclusively on housing people with disabilities. Some states chose to spread out the money with other funding sources such as Low Income Housing Tax Credits, while others chose to focus their money on fewer units for more deep subsidies.
