2016 ADA CHECKLIST FOR POLLING PLACES

Getting Started

Individuals using the 2016 Checklist need not be experienced in evaluating facilities for accessibility. It is designed to be used to evaluate key areas that must be accessible. By following these directions, staff can identify accessible polling places and consider how to implement temporary and permanent accessibility remedies to those facilities found to be inaccessible. References are also provided to the 2010 Standards for more information about particular requirements. We encourage election officials to provide training to their staff on compliance with the ADA.

An evaluation of polling place accessibility focuses on those areas of a facility that may be used as a polling place on Election Day. Think about how people generally arrive at, enter, and move through the polling place. Do people drive and park? Are people dropped off at the entrance? Do they arrive on foot or do they take public transportation? This document addresses the following key areas or features that must be accessible: the parking area and passenger drop-off sites; routes (both exterior and interior); the entrance to the polling place; and the voting area itself.