AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Travis County elections officials have reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice over accessibility issues with polling locations observed during the 2020 general election.
The investigation, led by U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff, investigated the county's compliance with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
"The right to vote is a foundation of our democracy and must not be diminished or restricted by barriers to access at polling sites," said U.S. Attorney Hoff. "Under this agreement, eligible voters with disabilities in Travis County will be able to exercise their fundamental right to vote and participate in our democracy."
Investigators found that all of the polling places surveyed, which were more than 50, contained architectural or equipment barriers for voters with disabilities, such as a lack of van accessible parking, excessively sloped ramps, excessively sloped routes to the entrance, and protruding objects. In addition, the accessible voting machines lacked knee and toe clearance to accommodate wheelchairs and lacked the same level of privacy afforded to other voters. Polling places also lacked notice or procedures for voters with disabilities to access the county’s curbside voting system in a manner consistent with the ADA.
Under the terms of the agreement, the county will use an evaluation form for each current and prospective polling place based on ADA architectural standards. The agreement requires the county to either relocate voting to new, accessible facilities, or to use temporary measures such as portable ramps, signs, traffic cones, and doorbells to ensure accessibility on Election Day.
In addition, Travis County will train its poll workers and other elections staff on the requirements of the ADA and how to use temporary measures to ensure each polling place is accessible during elections.