HAYS COUNTY
The U.S. Department of Justice reached an agreement with Hays County aiming to improve accessibility at polling locations for voters with disabilities. This follows an investigation by the Justice Department into the county’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act at polling locations last year.
“The right to vote is a cornerstone of our democracy and must not be diminished or restricted,” said Jaime Esparza, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas. “People with disabilities are entitled to equal opportunity and full inclusion at the ballot box. Under this agreement, eligible voters with disabilities in Hays County will be able to exercise their fundamental right to vote and participate in our democracy. Our office will continue working to ensure that all eligible Americans have access to the ballot.”
According to the Department of Justice, investigators surveyed 14 polling places the county used during the 2023 Uniform Election.
“The United States observed that the polling places contained architectural or equipment barriers that rendered the facilities inaccessible to voters with disabilities, such as a lack of van accessible parking; excessively sloped ramps, some without handrails and edge protection; excessively sloped portions of parking spaces, access aisles, and exterior routes to the entrance; numerous gaps and level changes along exterior routes; and protruding objects. In addition, the observers documented a lack of knee and toe clearance at the accessible voting machines and at other voting stations at some locations,” a press release from the Department of Justice said.
The settlement agreement requires Hays County to receive technical assistance from an accessibility expert as well as using an evaluation form considering ADA architectural standards to assess current and prospective polling places. The agreement also requires the county to make ADA improvements at polling locations as well as train poll works and election staff on ADA requirements and and temporary measures that can be used to make sure each polling location is accessible.
Hays County said in a statement that it is working to accomplish those goals.
“Hays County goes to great lengths to ensure that its polling places are accessible to voters with disabilities,” a statement from Hays County said. “Hays County, like other Texas counties, is proud to partner with the Department of Justice to ensure that the County's polling places are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Among other things, Hays County is expanding training for poll workers, consulting with a third-party expert to proactively evaluate the accessibility of each of the County's polling places and implementing additional measures to increase accessibility in polling places, as well as remaining focused on the County’s availability of curbside voting.”
For more information about the ADA, please visit www.ada.gov, or call the Department of Justice’s toll-free information line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383.
