Voters With Disabilities: Access to Polling Places and Alternative Voting Methods

Voting is the foundation of our American democratic system, and federal law generally requires access to voting on Election Day for people with disabilities. Under the law, state political subdivisions responsible for conducting elections must assure that polling places used in federal elections are accessible, as determined by the state.1 Exceptions are allowed if the state determines that all potential polling places have been surveyed and no accessible place is available, and the political subdivision cannot make one temporarily accessible. In these cases, voters with disabilities who are assigned to inaccessible polling places must be, upon advance request, either reassigned to an accessible polling place or provided another means for voting on Election Day. These requirements present a challenge to state and local election officials because achieving accessibility—which is affected by the type of impairment and various barriers posed by polling place facilities and voting methods—is part of a larger set of challenges they face in administering elections on a periodic basis.

Because nationwide information on the accessibility of voting for people with disabilities is dated and has significant limitations, you asked us to study voting access for people with disabilities, including access to polling places and alternative voting methods. This study is part of a broader body of GAO work about election procedures and election reform issues that we are doing at the request of various members of the Congress. This report (1) examines state and local provisions and practices for assuring voting accessibility, both at polling places and with respect to alternative voting methods and accommodations;4 (2) estimates the proportion of polling places with features that might facilitate or impede access, including features of polling booths and voting accommodations; and (3) identifies efforts and challenges to improving voting accessibility