Department of Psychology.
Department of Psychiatry.
Psychiatr Rehabil J. 2019 Jun;42(2):197-200. doi: 10.1037/prj0000354. Epub 2019 Mar 14.
Voting is a fundamental right in democratic societies. Despite this fact, persons with serious mental illnesses (SMIs) frequently encounter barriers to exercising this right. The purposes of this Brief Report are to emphasize the importance of electoral participation in this population, to describe common barriers, and to outline relevant federal and state laws.
We conducted a review of the relevant psychological and legal literature.
Due to the structural barriers that they encounter, individuals with SMIs are less likely to vote than the general population. Federal laws that protect voting rights for persons with disabilities are the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, the Americans With Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Help America Vote Act, the Voting Rights Act, and the National Voter Registration Act. State laws concerning voter competence, photo IDs, voter challenges, and incarceration practices can affect the electoral participation of persons with SMIs.
We offer recommendations for mental health professionals and other stakeholders who are interested in addressing barriers and engaging in advocacy efforts that might increase voting opportunities among persons diagnosed with SMIs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
投票是民主社会的一项基本权利。尽管如此，患有严重精神疾病的人（SMI）在行使这一权利时经常会遇到障碍。本简要报告的目的是强调在这一人群中参与选举的重要性，描述常见的障碍，并概述相关的联邦和州法律。
我们对相关的心理和法律文献进行了回顾。
由于他们遇到的结构性障碍，患有 SMI 的人比一般人群更不可能投票。保护残疾人士投票权的联邦法律包括第十四条修正案的平等保护条款、《美国残疾人法案》、《康复法案》第 504 条、《帮助美国投票法案》、《投票权法案》和《全国选民登记法案》。关于选民能力、照片身份证、选民质疑和监禁做法的州法律可能会影响患有 SMI 的人的选举参与。
我们为有兴趣解决障碍并参与可能增加被诊断患有 SMI 的人投票机会的宣传工作的心理健康专业人员和其他利益相关者提供了建议。（APA，2019 年版权所有）。
