SO GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF HOW IT WAS CONDUCTED.

WERE THEY SHOWN THINGS?

HOW DOES IT WORK?

>> WELL, WE HAD SECRETARY TALKING ABOUT VOTER REGISTRATION.

WE HAD THE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT FROM THE COUNTY HAVING, UM, DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE COULD, UM, ENGAGE PEOPLE IN THE PROCESS, WHETHER THEY WERE HARD OF HEARING, HARD OF SEEING, WHETHER THEY NEED PLAIN LANGUAGE, ALSO ENGLISH AND SPANISH.

PLAIN LANGUAGE IS GOOD FOR ALL OF US.

SO OFTEN WE FIND WHEN WE CREATE THINGS FOR PEOPLE WITH AUTISM AND OTHER DISABILITIES.

>> I BET YOU DO.

WERE THERE RESULTS TO THE ELECTION OR JUST THE VOTING PROCESS?

>> IT WAS JUST THE VOTING PROCESS AND TRULY ENGAGEMENT.

THE ARIZONA SCHOOL, THE ARIZONA CHARTER AUTISM CHARTER SCHOOL WAS ALSO VERY INVOLVED SO THESE FIRST TIME VOTERS EXPERIENCING WHAT IT IS LIKE AND HELPING TO REDUCE THEIR ANXIETY ONCE THEY ARE IN AN ELECTION BOOTH.

>> COULD YOU SEE THEIR ANXIETY REDUCED?

WE SAW THE HIGH FIVE AND THE THRILL AND CONFIDENCE BOEING ABLE TO DO SOMETHING FOR THE FIRST TIME.

>> ELECTION OFFICIALS WERE THERE.

THEY WERE TEACHING PEOPLE AND MOVING ALONG THE WAY.

THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY.

RECOGNIZING THAT WE HAVE A VERY LARGE POPULATION OF ADULTS OR ADOLESCENCE WITH AUTISM TRANSITIONING TO ADULTS 110,000 WILL TRANSITION YEAR.

THAT NUMBER IS ONLY GOING UP.

WE WANT ADULTS WITH AUTISM, ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES TO REGISTER EARLIER IN LIFE, TO REDUCE THAT ON XY TOY TO KNOW THAT DISABILITY LAWS AFFECT THEM AND THEY CAN AFFECT THOSE LAWS.

>> WHEN REGISTERING TO VOTE FROM THIS COMMUNITY.

HOW DIFFICULT IS IT?

IT SEEMS LIKE, JUST THE VOTING PROCESS ITSELF.

GOING TO A POLLING PLACE, THAT IS HIGH INFORMATION ENVIRONMENT STANDING IN LINE GOING INTO A CRAMMED LITTLE THING.

THAT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF STUFF GOING ON.

WELL, SEVERAL ACCOMMODATIONS THAT CAN MADE.

THE FIRST ONE IS WE HAVE CREATED A UNIQUE URL THROUGH THE SEC TAR OF STATE'S OFFICE WHERE PEOPLE CAN EASE LIS REGISTER TO VOTE FOR THE FIRST TIME.

IT IS NOT THE PEOPLE WITH AUTISM AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IT IS THOSE WHO CARE ABOUT THEM.

FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE ANXIETY, TOO, ALONG WITH EDUCATORS, PHYSICIANS PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY THEN WORKING WITH THE MARICOPA COUNTY ELECTIONS OFFICE ASKING AND REQUESTING AND MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF WHAT IS AVAILABLE.

WE ARE ALSO COLLABORATING WITH ABILITIES 360 WITH DISABILITY RIGHTS ARIZONA WITH RAISING SPECIAL KIDS ARIZONA, AND WITH SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS, WHO ARE ALSO HELPING PEOPLE UNDERSTAND VOTER EDUCATION, VOTER PARTICIPATION, AND AGAIN, GETTING MORE PEOPLE ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS.

THAT IS THE SPECTRUM.

>> THAT IS PART OF THE SPECTRUM WHICH IS WHAT I LOVE TO TALK ABOUT, TOO.

>> PLEASE DO.

>> TERM INS OF WHAT WE ARE DOING AS PART OF OUR COME IN TO REGISTER 10,000 PEOPLE TO VOTE.

IT IS COMMUNITY VOTE, STATEWIDE INITIATIVE.

YOU KNOW, YOU THINK AGAIN, THE SPECTRUM OF AUTISM.

THE SPECTRUM OF DISABILITIES BUT THE SPECTRUM WHEN WE LOOK AT RED AND BLOU AND WHAT IS RIGHT IN THE CENTER.

WE CAN POINT TO MANY MANY INSTANCES IN OUR STATE AND IN OUR COUNTRY WHERE WHEN WE DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR PEOPLE WITH IS A ABILITIES WE DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR ALL AMERICANS.

IT HELPS OUR DEMOCRACY, IT IS WHAT WE ARE MADE OF.

WE ALL DESERVE AND IN NEED TO BE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS.

>> SO WHEN, WHEN SOMEONE SAYS SPECTRUM, I WONDER WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?

WHAT ARE PRIORITIES?

WHAT ARE YOU EMPHASIZING M. WHAT ARE LOU KING FOR FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE REGISTERING?

WELL, UNITED NATIONS THE VOTER REGISTRATION ACT OF 1990, WELL, CHARITABLE NONPROFITS LIKE FIRST PLACE ARIZONA ARE ALLOWED TO REGISTER PEOPLE IN A NONPARTISAN WAY TO VOTE.

AND THAT IS WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR.

WE ARE LOOKING FOR VOTER REGISTRATION.

WHEN YOU LOOK HOW CLOSE THE ELECTIONS ARE, NOW, TODAY, MORE THAN EVER BEFORE, YOU KNOW, THE ELECTION CAN TIP.

AND ANY WAY WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WHOEVER IS LEADING HAS THE BACKS OF PEOPLE THAT WE CAN WEAR ABOUT THE POST.

BEFORE WE LET YOU GO.

THE ROW ACTION FROM FAMILY CARE GIVERS WHAT DID YOU SEE FROM THE MOCK ELECTION?

>> WE SAW A LOT OF EXCITEMENT, A LOT OF ENGAGE AM, A LOT OF CHAMPIONS WHO WANT TO REG TER PEOPLE IN THEIR COMMUNITY IN THEIR CYCLE AND THEIR DOCTOR'S OFFICE AND THAT IS WHAT IT US ALL ABOUT.

IT IS ABOUT A COMMUNITY INITIATIVE THEN WHAT WE ALL NEED TO DO TO CREATE THE DEMOCRACY OF A HEALTHY DEMOCRACY THAT INCLUDES US ALL.

>> CONGRATULATION ON THIS AND BEST OF LUCK HERE WITH THE SPECTRUM EFFICIENT AS WELL.

GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

THAT IS IT FOR NOW.

I AM TED SIMONS THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

HAVE A GREAT EVENING.

Support for Arizona.

PBS comes from viewers like you and from