OLRS 2008 Annual Report
Protecting Voting Rights
OLRS surveyed a sampling of Ohio's polling sites and found that some voters cannot exercise their right to vote at their designated polling place. A preliminary review of 32 selected polling sites revealed that it is difficult or impossible for people with disabilities to vote at their precinct.
Barriers to voting at polling places included inadequate parking spaces and parking surfaces, inaccessible stairs or steps into polling stations, inaccessible entrance doors, and insufficient space to maneuver within the voting area. Many locations had gravel or grass parking lots that did not provide a person with a disability a safe, slip resistant surface path of travel from the parking lot to the polling place. Some polling stations did not have marked, designated accessible parking spaces and/or proper signage.
OLRS observed entrances into polling places that were not accessible to people with disabilities. To enter these places, a person was required to navigate over a 2 or 3 inch threshold, or to use a single step or a full stairway. No alternative, accessible entrances were available to voters at these sites.
Attempts to improve the accessibility of polling places were often lacking and did not demonstrate improvement. Ramps into voting sites either were too steep, were not constructed from non-slip materials or did not include a level landing every 30 feet. One polling place constructed a ramp to the main entrance to bypass a set of steps. The slope exceeded the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standard, and the doorway at the top of the ramp included a 4½ inch threshold step, making the location inaccessible.
The handles on entry doors at polling locations were not accessible to people who have limited hand strength and manual dexterity. Nearly two-thirds of the polling sites OLRS visited did not have door handles that met ADA standards.
Once inside the voting area, OLRS found insufficient spacing between voting machines, and limited space in aisles and pathways for a person using a wheelchair to maneuver. Aisles between voting machines and the space between a voting machine and a wall were often less than the required 36 inches.
OLRS Will Continue Monitoring
OLRS' preliminary review of the 32 polling places reveals that all 32 locations present obstacles to people with disabilities and none meet accessibility standards under the ADA Accessibility Guidelines and the Ohio Revised Code. OLRS will continue monitoring voting sites to improve accessibility for people with disabilities in Ohio.
Educating and Informing Voters
During FY 2008 OLRS:
- Co-sponsored a Presidential Forum
- Provided a Comparison Chart of non-partisan information about presidential candidates' policies on disability-related issues
- Disseminated the following Voter Alerts:
- Register to Vote - Frequently Asked Questions
- Are You Prepared to Vote?
- Protect Your Right to Vote
- Is Your Polling Place Accessible?
- Vote Before Election Day: Early Voting and Absentee Voting
- Is Your Polling Location Accessible?
- OLRS Special Voting Edition Newsletter
