LA County agreed to hire an expert to make its polling places more accessible to voters with disabilities as part of a settlement announced Thursday with the U.S. Department of Justice.
According to the agreement, the county must hire a consultant for three years who specializes in accessible design to review the county’s range of polling stations and ensure that they can be accessed by all voters. The county also agreed to publicize its election program, where an election worker will give ballots directly to voters on the street outside polling places, according to the agreement.
“Voters with disabilities have the right to an equal opportunity to vote in person, privately and independently, with their neighbors and friends,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada in a statement. “We commend Los Angeles County for its commitment to working with the Department of Justice to ensure equal access for people with disabilities.”
The DOJ sued the county most recently June, accuses officials of failing to ensure that voters with disabilities can enter polling stations and cast their ballots in recent elections.
According to the lawsuit, the DOJ had investigated the county polling stations and ballot boxes during elections since 2016 and routinely found sites that did not meet standards set by the ADA, such as a lack of accessible parking for vans and steep ramps without handrails.
Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder Dean Logan said in a statement that no “systemic deficiencies” had been identified during the discovery, but that the county was challenged by aging infrastructure.
“Our agreement with the DOJ is focused on this challenge — including the intricacies of curb ramps, access to public transportation and clear travel routes leading to polling areas,” the statement said. “Our mission has always been to provide fair, accessible and transparent voting services to the voters of Los Angeles County.”