In 2014, the DOJ started investigating Blair County, Pennsylvania, to ensure there was voting accessibility compliance with Title II of the ADA (42 U.S.C. §§ 12131 - 12134). The DOJ discovered that out of the 97 voting divisions in the county, 82 had barriers that limited access for people with disabilities and failed to comply with ADA regulations.

Michigan State University

The ADA has accessibility standards for voting that require that all public entities used for voting are accessible and usable for individuals with disabilities to vote.

Accessible Polling Places for People With Disabilities

SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ada.gov/blair-co.htm

DOJ and Blair County Voting Settlement

Under Title II of the ADA, the right to vote is protected for people with individuals, meaning that there must be accommodations and considerations when establishing a polling place.

The Right to an Accessible Voting Place

The physical space that is evaluated includes parking, drop off locations, accessible routes, ramps, existence of protruding objects, lifts and elevators, and the actual voting area. The guidebook provides solutions to obtaining accessibility in these areas if needed.

The Physical Accessibility of Polling Places

The Government Accountability Office reported that only 27% of polling places were accessible to people with disabilities in the 2008 elections and the other 73% of polling places had some sort of barrier that made it difficult or even impossible for someone with a disability to vote. 

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