Voting Access for Individuals with Disabilities-Grants for Protection and Advocacy Systems
Active
- Assistance listing
- 93.618
- Agency
-
Administration for Community Living
Department of Health and Human Services
- Grant awards
- 1,389 $186,594,353 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Also known as
- PAVA
- Assistance types
-
- Formula Grant
- Project Grant
- Block Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 75-1536-0-1-506
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living administers Assistance Listing 93.618 to fund Protection and Advocacy Systems promoting voting access for individuals with disabilities, with the most recent grant awards disbursed on October 1, 2025.
The program has operated continuously since 2002, with a steady cadence of approximately 57 awards per year over the past five years. Combined federal obligations total $186.6 million across 1,389 awards. Awards are predominantly Formula Grants (75 percent of the portfolio), with smaller shares of Project Grants (17 percent) and Block Grants (9 percent). The program distributes funds annually on fixed dates, typically October 1, to eligible Protection and Advocacy Systems in states and territories.
Formula Grant awards fund concrete activities: ensuring full participation in the electoral process for individuals with disabilities; providing education and training to voters with disabilities on voter registration, polling place accessibility, and casting votes; training election officials and poll workers on disability rights and best practices; assisting individuals with disabilities in filing complaints under state administrative grievance procedures; providing technical assistance to states on polling place physical accessibility; and delivering training on accessible voting equipment and systems. Protection and Advocacy Systems use awards to inform their broader constituencies about available accessible voting technologies after receiving technical assistance.
Recent awards range from $94,089 to $840,005 in federal obligated dollars, with representative FY2026 awards including California ($840,005), Texas ($666,588), Florida ($497,898), New York ($423,232), Pennsylvania ($278,616), and Illinois ($270,764). Smaller-population states and territories receive minimum allocations of $35,000 to $70,000 annually. All eligible states and territories receive funding; the source does not identify competing selection; awards appear distributed by formula based on jurisdiction size and population.
A 2017 grant opportunity posting for FY2017 funds (Solicitation HHS-2017-ACL-AOD-HAVA-0231, closed July 12, 2017) is the most recent opportunity document in the source and does not reflect current solicitation status. No open opportunities are currently listed in the source material.
Objective and description
- Objective
Section 291 of HAVA provides that funds be made available to Protection and Advocacy Systems to: (1) ensure full participation in the electoral process for individuals with disabilities; (2) provide education, training and assistance to individuals
- Description
Section 291 of HAVA provides that funds be made available to Protection and Advocacy Systems to: (1) ensure full participation in the electoral process for individuals with disabilities; (2) provide education, training and assistance to individuals with disabilities that will promote their participation in the electoral process; (3) participate in advocacy and education efforts revolving around HAVA implementation efforts in their State or Territory; (4) training and education of election officials, poll workers, and election volunteers regarding the rights of the voters with disabilities and best practices in working with individuals with disabilities; (5) assist individuals with disabilities in filing complaints under the State-based administrative grievance procedure required by HAVA and represent individuals with disabilities in any hearing that may be held regarding the complaint; (6) provide assistance to States and other governmental entities regarding the physical accessibility of polling places; and (7) obtain training and technical assistance on voting issues, including education regarding accessible voting equipment and systems. Once educated, the information may be used to inform others of the availability of accessible voting equipment and its use.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
States and Territories who have a Protection and Advocacy System in place in accordance with the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 with the exception of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Native Americans.
- Beneficiary eligibility
Individuals with a full-range of disabilities.
- Uses of assistance
To assist Protection and Advocacy Systems to ensure full participation in the electoral process of individuals with a full-range of disabilities. Grant funds are only available for five years after the appropriation year, as required by 31 U.S.C. Section 1552.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Grants are awarded annually. The Protection and Advocacy System in each State including the District of Columbia or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico shall receive less than $70,000 and no Territory will receive less than $35,000.
How to apply
- Preapplication coordination
An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.
- Award procedure
Funds will be awarded annually.
- Renewals
None. Awards are generally made for a 12-month project period.
- Appeals
Appeals are processed in accordance with HHS regulations in 45 CFR Part 16.
Grant opportunities
| Opportunity | Status | Posted | Applications due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Help America Vote Act (HAVA) | Closed |
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 1,389 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Disability Rights California | $12,992,316 | 7% |
| 2 | Disability Rights Texas | $9,445,858 | 5% |
| 3 | Disability Rights Florida Inc. | $6,864,471 | 4% |
| 4 | Disability Advocates Inc. | $5,499,783 | 3% |
| 5 | Disability Rights Pennsylvania | $4,373,083 | 2% |
| 6 | Equip For Equality, Inc. | $4,275,187 | 2% |
| 7 | Disability Rights North Carolina | $3,675,662 | 2% |
| 8 | Georgia Advocacy Office, Inc. | $3,505,060 | 2% |
| 9 | Disability Rights Michigan | $3,415,128 | 2% |
| 10 | Disability Rights Ohio | $3,368,564 | 2% |
10 of 82 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $12,291,059 |
| FY2025 | $15,416,380 |
| FY2024 | $17,893,844 |
| FY2023 | $17,625,992 |
| FY2022 | $16,102,032 |
| FY2021 | $7,360,955 |
| FY2020 | $13,781,402 |
| FY2019 | $6,906,450 |
| FY2018 | $6,925,761 |
| FY2017 | $4,929,476 |
| FY2016 | $4,939,532 |
| FY2015 | $4,962,522 |
| FY2014 | $4,963,000 |
| FY2013 | $4,925,398 |
| FY2012 | $5,158,141 |
| FY2011 | $5,175,488 |
| FY2010 | $5,245,696 |
| FY2009 | $5,255,631 |
| FY2008 | $5,525,623 |
| FY2007 | $4,787,705 |
| FY2006 | $4,492,095 |
| FY2005 | $4,959,670 |
| FY2004 | $4,970,500 |
| FY2003 | $2,000,000 |
Show all 24
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 93.618?
Assistance Listing 93.618 is Voting Access for Individuals with Disabilities-Grants for Protection and Advocacy Systems, a federal grant program run by Administration for Community Living (Department of Health and Human Services).
What is the CFDA number for Voting Access for Individuals with Disabilities-Grants for Protection and Advocacy Systems?
Its CFDA number is 93.618: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 93.618 awarded?
1,389 grant awards under 93.618 have obligated $186,594,353 in federal funds to 82 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 93.618?
The recipients obligated the most under Voting Access for Individuals with Disabilities-Grants for Protection and Advocacy Systems are Disability Rights California ($12,992,316), Disability Rights Texas ($9,445,858) and Disability Rights Florida Inc. ($6,864,471).
How much did 93.618 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 93.618 obligated $15,416,380 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 93.618?
No opportunity listed under 93.618 is open now. The latest, Help America Vote Act (HAVA), was posted on May 18, 2017.
On GovTribe
See this program's full record
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