Can I still vote?

If I get SSI for schizophrenia that means a court will have ruled me incompetent. Does that mean I can no longer vote in elections? That is one rule in my state that unless you have been ruled incompetent by a court you can still vote. The same goes for posession of firearms. However, I have never been involuntarily committed as an adult to a mental institution. You would need a letter or certification proving that you are competent enough to have a firearm. Im not interested in that or firearms I am not into them.

I am mostly just worried about losing rights. Of course, the main reason for my disability would be my physical health issues. Maybe I dont need to bring up the schizophrenia so I dont end up losing my right to vote. My physical health issues are the most impairing. I could function pretty well, but it was the physical exhaustion that was preventing me from being able to work at the warehouse. The fatigue and I did have a few manic episodes due to the stress at work.

It says that I can’t be deprived of the right to vote for receiving mental health services. But it also says that If I have been deemed disabled or incompetent by the courts that I wouldn’t vote. Its starting to make sense of why they keep rejecting my SSI claim. The reason I can’t work is not because I am incompetent, its because I have multiple stress factors: Charcot Marie Tooth, tinnitus, nerve pain, sleep apnea, chronic blood clots, and the physical issues make it hard for me to stand for long periods of time, do simple labor tasks, pick things up and move them. And honestly the mental health stuff does get in the way, but it doesnt render me completely lost or incompetent.

Being ruled disabled is different that being ruled incompetent.

My husband gets SSI, was ruled disabled, and votes in all our elections. My daughter, on the other hand is developmentally disabled, incompetent, and can’t vote.

2 Likes

I’m deemed disabled and I always vote.

3 Likes

You aren’t declared mentally incompetent unless you have ever been in court fighting an involuntary commitment and lost. Or if you used your mental illness as a defense in a legal case. Applying for SSI does not have any effect.

1 Like

I’m ■■■■■■ then… :frowning:

@Crystal-Cotton you sound lucid enough to vote. Im starting to think its for extreme circumstances. My mom has severe schizophrenia, but she still votes. She is helped by medication. It also says that if you are being treated for mental health and get better that you can still vote.

If you are incarcerated for a felony you cant vote while serving your sentence in prison or on probation. But after you serve your sentence you can re-apply and vote. I think that varies state-by-state.

MI played a factor in a court case I was involved in. I won the case and was granted immunity from any further proceedings related to the trial. I was really upset though, I wanted to help find out what happened but really didn’t know how serious it was. I knew I was innocent.

You know what is crazy, a bunch of people can accuse someone of something and its completely made up…but if enough people testify and their stories match they can get someone locked up for something that person is innocent of or even set someone up for a crime another person committed.

Well I’m underage so I couldn’t anyways

1 Like

Hmmm did I lose my right to vote cause of SSDI

I dont think so, but maybe someone else can further explain…I think the right to vote is such a big deal especially in the USA that if someone with schizophrenia lost the right to vote and wanted to vote they could use the ACLU or sue the federal gov. or merely have to prove they deserve the right to vote. Because who is the judge of whats real and whats not, even if schizophrenia affects the mind–and someone might be out of touch–there are plenty of people who are out of touch anyways who dont have schizophrenia…so that wouldn’t be fair…and schizophrenia isnt understood well enough to be considered the sole reason to judge someone incompetent to vote.

Human rights issues are why its so hard for a person in an episode to be hospitalized for treatment, because even if you are paranoid and out of touch with reality if you arent dangerous or in immanent danger or harm the rule is they dont put you in a hospital without your consent. You have to choose to seek help, and if you choose to seek help they cant take away any of your rights that would be like punishing someone for seeking healthcare.

This topic was automatically closed 90 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.