Solutions for Five Common ADA Access Problems at Polling Places

Voting is one of our nation’s most fundamental rights and a hallmark of our democracy.
Voting in-person on Election Day is the way most Americans cast their ballot and vote, but
for far too long, many voters with disabilities who use wheelchairs or other mobility devices
have had difficulties getting inside polling places to vote because of architectural barriers.
Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires public entities to ensure that
people with disabilities can access and use their voting facilities.
This publication provides a brief discussion of physical barriers to access in five commonly
found areas at polling places: parking, sidewalks and walkways, building entrances, interior
hallways, and the voting area itself. It is intended to assist election officials to meet their
ADA obligation to provide polling places that are accessible to and usable by individuals
with disabilities. To provide access to the polling place, a route into and through the poll-
ing place must be accessible to voters with disabilities. This accessible route should con-
nect each area, from parking
to the voting area and back
again and should be the
same route all voters take. If
this is not possible and alter-
nate routes must be used
to provide access for voters
with disabilities, temporary
signs should direct voters
to and along these alternate
accessible routes.
While locating polling places
in accessible facilities makes
ADA compliance more likely,
there may be times when that
is not possible and the use of
temporary measures to pro-
vide access will be necessary.
Entrance to a polling place with the accessible route shown
from parking and drop off areas into the polling place
U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Rights Division
Disability Rights Section
SOLUTIONS FOR FIVE COMMON ADA
ACCESS PROBLEMS AT POLLING PLACES

2
TEMPORARY MEASURES
While permanently removing architectural
barriers is preferable, this document pro-
vides some low-cost, temporary solutions
that can provide temporary access for
people with disabilities on Election Day.
COMMON PROBLEMS
Parking
Problem
Many polling places provide parking for
voters but the provision of accessible park-
ing is often overlooked. Parking areas
may lack accessible parking spaces with
adequate access aisles and signs, or may
be on a sloped surface. Also, because
other entrances – not the main entrance to
the building – are commonly used as entry
points to the polling place, especially at
large facilities such as schools, permanent
accessible parking may not be close to the
entrance to the voting area. All of these
barriers can prevent voters with disabilities
from reaching the polling place.
A van parked in a temporary accessible parking space marked
with traffic cones to create the access aisle and accessible route
and a temporary ramp provides access to the sidewalk
A person using a wheelchair
enters a polling place
Temporary measures may not
be suitable for every polling
place that has physical bar-
riers that block access. For
example, if the only entrance
door at a polling place is 29
inches wide, then propping
the door open or providing
a doorbell for a poll worker
to open the door will still
not allow a person using a
wheelchair or a walker to pass
through the door. If another
accessible entrance is not
available, the door must either
be permanently modified or
the polling place must be relo-
cated to an accessible facility.

3
ADA Requirements
Parking provided at the polling place must
meet specific minimum width require-
ments for spaces and access aisles so vot-
ers with mobility disabilities can get out of
their car or van. Generally, the access aisle
must be at least 60 inches wide for cars
and 96 inches wide for vans. Van spaces
can also have an access aisle of at least
60 inches if the width of the van parking
space is at least 132 inches. A sign, with
the International Symbol of Accessibility,
must mark each accessible parking space.
Van-accessible spaces must be designated
as such on the sign at these spaces. If only
one accessible space is provided, it must
be a van-accessible space. Accessible
parking spaces must be in a level area with
no steep slopes and on the shortest acces-
sible route from parking to the accessible
entrance to the polling place.
Temporary Solutions
Temporary parking must be located on the
most level area available and as close to
the accessible entrance as possible. Traf-
fic cones and portable signs can be used
to create accessible parking spaces and
access aisles.
Temporary sign providing direction to
the area for van-accessible parking
Sidewalks and Walkways
Problem
If sidewalks and walkways are in disrepair,
it can be difficult, and sometimes impos-
sible, for a voter using a wheelchair or
other mobility device to safely navigate
to the polling place. Often, sidewalks and
walkways are uneven, cracked, or con-
tain potholes, gravel, dirt, or grass. Some
sidewalks do not include curb ramps or, if
they do, the ramped section is too narrow
or steep.
ADA Requirements
Sidewalk or walkway surfaces must be at
least 36 inches wide, without abrupt level
changes (no level change greater than ½
inch), and the surface must be stable, firm,
and slip resistant. Curb ramps should not
be too steep (no steeper than 1:12).
Temporary Solutions
Temporary plates (no more than ½ inch
thick) can be used to cover holes or cracks
and provide a more level walkway. Ramps
at least 36 inches wide, with a slope no
more than 1:12, may be used to provide
temporary access over curbs or onto side-
walks.
A sidewalk with raised and broken
sections is a barrier to access

4
Entrances
Problem
Often times, particularly in older buildings,
steps and narrow doors block voters with
disabilities from entering the polling place.
The entrance area may be too small to
allow a voter using a wheelchair to maneu-
ver, have high door thresholds, or the
doors cannot be opened independently.
ADA Requirements
The entrance area must be level (no level
change greater than ½ inch) and should not
slope steeply in any one direction. All door
openings must provide a minimum width
of 32 inches and there must also be enough
room for a person using a wheelchair to
maneuver to open the door, including 18
inches of clear space beyond the latch side
of the door. Additionally, the door
hardware must not require tight
grasping, pinching, or twisting, and
the height of the door threshold must
not be greater than ½ inch.
Entry doors to the polling place can be
propped open or opened by
staff to provide access
A temporary ramp with handrails and edge
protection provides access over steps
Temporary Solutions
The use of temporary ramps can
provide access over steps or high
thresholds. If the area in front of the
door is not level or does not provide
adequate maneuvering space, then
the door may be propped open to
allow the person using a wheelchair
to enter the polling place. If one door
of a double-leaf door is not wide
enough, propping open the second
door may provide enough clearance.
In some circumstances, temporary
levers or other adapters that do not
require tight grasping, pinching, or
twisting, may be installed over exist-
ing door hardware to provide indepen-
dent access. Alternatively, a tempo-
rary doorbell or buzzer system may be
used to alert a poll worker to open the
door or doors for the voter.

5
Hallways
Problem
In many polling places, particularly those
in large facilities such as schools and apart-
ment buildings, hallways contain drinking
fountains, coat
racks, fire extin-
guishers, and
other protruding
objects. These
objects may
pose hazards
to voters with
vision disabili-
ties, who may
bump into them
if they are not
detectable by a
sweep of a cane.
ADA Requirements
Wall-mounted objects located between 27
inches and 80 inches above the floor may
not protrude or stick out from the wall
more than 4 inches.
Temporary Solutions
Place traffic cones or other cane-detectable
barriers, such as planters or portable rail-
ings, at or under protruding objects. Cane-
detectable barriers can also be placed to
re-direct voters with vision disabilities
around or away from the protruding object.
An alternate pedestrian route that does not
include the protruding object, if available,
may be appropriate.
A voter who is blind walks along a corridor with
wall-mounted objects that are not protruding
objects because they do not protrude more than 4
inches from the wall, are mounted above 80 inches
or are recessed into an alcove
Voting Areas
Problem
Voting often occurs in a small room or area
within a building, with little space at the
check-in tables and voting machines, mak-
ing it difficult for voters with mobility dis-
abilities to move through the voting area
and cast their ballots. In winter months or
during the rainy season, election officials
may use cardboard, plastic floor coverings,
tarps, or mats to cover the floor. These cov-
erings can make it difficult to navigate and
can easily become trip hazards for voters
with disabilities and others.

6
ADA Requirements
There must be a minimum 36 inch wide
route in and through the voting area. There
also must be enough clear floor space in at
least one voting station or booth to allow a
voter using a wheelchair or other mobility
device to approach, maneuver, and leave
the voting station. Floor surfaces must be
stable, firm, and slip resistant.
Temporary Solutions
Arrange check-in tables and voting stations
to provide an accessible path for the voter
to go from the check-in table to the voting
station and out again. At least one vot-
ing station should provide at least 30 x 48
inches of clear floor space to allow a voter
using a wheelchair or other mobility device
to maneuver. All floor coverings, such
as cardboard or plastic sheets, should be
removed or firmly
affixed to the floor
to provide a stable
and slip-resistant
floor.
An accessible voting station with clear floor space
Overhead view of a polling place showing the accessible route
and maneuvering spaces for voters who use mobility devices

7
Voting Access: Where to Start
To provide temporary access to voters with
disabilities, election officials should always
keep in mind the accessible route into and
through the polling place. Understanding
how all voters arrive at the polls, park or
drop people off, move through the facil-
ity and the voting area, and back out again
will help identify physical barriers that will
need to be remediated. Using the tools
discussed in this document can provide
temporary access and will ensure that vot-
ers with disabilities can fully participate in
the election process.
Voting Access:
Some Useful Resources
This document provides guidance on pro-
viding temporary access to polling places.
Election officials should note that the ADA
requires jurisdictions to select polling sites
that are accessible or can be made acces-
sible for elections. The ADA title II regula-
tion and the ADA Standards for Accessible
Design set out what makes a facility acces-
sible and should be used to determine the
level of accessibility at each facility being
used or considered for use as a polling
place. Election officials should consult the
Justice Department’s ADA Checklist for
Polling Places for more detailed guidance
on how to assess whether a polling place is
fully accessible to voters with disabilities or
if barriers can be removed.
The Checklist, title II regulation, and the
ADA Standards are available at
www.ada.gov.
In addition, election officials should consult
the Department's 7-page publication on
the rights of voters with disabilities, The
Americans with Disabilities Act and Other
Federal Laws Protecting the Rights of Vot-
ers with Disabilities, also available at www.
ada.gov.
For More Information
For information about the ADA, please visit
our website or call our toll-free number.
ADA Information Line
800-514-0301 (Voice) and
800-514-0383 (TTY)
24 hours a day to order
publications by mail.
Monday-Wednesday, Friday
9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.,
Thursday 12:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
(Eastern Time) to speak with
an ADA Specialist. Calls are confidential.
ADA Website
www.ADA.gov
To receive e-mail notifications when new
ADA information is available, visit the ADA
Website’s home page and click the link near
the lower right corner of the page.

The Americans with Disabilities Act authorizes the Department of Justice (the Department) to
provide technical assistance to individuals and entities that have rights or responsibilities under the
Act. This document provides informal guidance to assist you in understanding the ADA and the
Department's regulations.
This guidance document is not intended to be a final agency action, has no legally binding effect,
and may be rescinded or modified in the Department’s complete discretion, in accordance with
applicable laws. The Department’s guidance documents, including this guidance, do not establish
legally enforceable responsibilities beyond what is required by the terms of the applicable statutes,
regulations, or binding judicial precedent.