The last comment....when Abbie is 18, will she get a vote? (assuming the commenter means politically)
That's actually an interesting question. Because, gut reaction, one would think - well, no, she doesn't understand what voting is, right?
But who decides that? And where is the line for deciding such a thing?? Any legal adult has the
right to vote unless they're disenfranchised by the court (almost always for felony convictions).
I hadn't actually thought this through before so I went to do some reading on the topic.
Apparently the right to vote is, in most states, decided during guardianship hearings as a disabled individual nears their 18th birthday - link below. If guardianship is granted - if the person is determined to be unable to manage their own affairs - voting rights are generally stripped at the same time.
So Abbie likely will be disenfranchised when she turns 18, thus ineligible to vote.
When he turned 18, Greg Demer lost his right to vote because of his autism, joining thousands of other people with mental disabilities who were stripped of the right during guardianship proceedings. More than a decade later, a different judge returned to him the right to vote. Linda Demer Like...
www.pewtrusts.org