The Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD) in the Administration for Community Living (ACL), the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announces the availability of Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 funds authorized under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002, Pub.

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107-252, Title II, Subtitle D, Part 5, section 291 (42 United States Code (U.S.C.) 15461).

Provisions under this section provide for the award of grants for Training and Technical Assistance (T/TA) to assist Protection and Advocacy Systems (P & As) in promoting full participation in the electoral process for individuals with disabilities, including registering to vote, casting a vote, and accessing polling places; developing proficiency in the use of voting systems and technologies as they affect individuals with disabilities; demonstrating and evaluating the use of such systems and technologies by individuals with disabilities (including blindness) in order to assess the availability and use of such systems and technologies for such individuals; and providing T/TA for non-visual access.

(At least one recipient must provide T/TA assistance in this area.) Help America Vote Act (HAVA) programs are designed to establish and improve participation in the election process for individuals with a full range of disabilities.

In each eligible state and territory, seven percent of HAVA funds are set aside for Protection and Advocacy Systems (P&As) to ensure that individuals with disabilities have the opportunity to participate in every step of the voting process.

After receiving technical assistance, P&As may inform others on the availability of accessible voting equipment and its use.

The funds should be used to provide Training and Technical Assistance to the P&As in their promotion of full participation in the electoral process for individuals with disabilities, including registering to vote, casting a vote, and accessing polling places.