The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Hudson County Board of Elections reached a settlement to ensure disabled voters have polling access going forward, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Ensuring that all eligible citizens can participate in the voting process is one of the most fundamental elements of our democracy,” Sellinger said in a statement.
“Voters with disabilities have a right to vote at their local polling places free from barriers to physical accessibility. Our office remains committed to using every tool available to ensure that all eligible New Jersey voters can cast their ballot without barriers.”
Under the settlement agreements, the Morris County Board of Elections was reviewed as well, the election boards will each employ temporary measures, such as portable ramps and signage, where appropriate, to make their existing polling places accessible.
They will also train poll workers on the ADA’s accessibility requirements, how to use temporary measures to make polling places accessible, and how to survey polling locations for accessibility on Election Day.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office will monitor the Board of Elections’ compliance with the agreements and provide them with technical assistance.
“During the June 7, 2022 primary election, the United States surveyed 16 of the
Board’s polling places used during the election. The United States observed that all of the
polling places surveyed contained noncompliant elements that rendered the facilities inaccessible to voters with disabilities, including but not limited to, excessively sloped ramps, insufficient door maneuvering clearance, inadequate accessible parking, and lack of appropriate signage,” the Hudson County settlement says.
“The United States alleges that it substantiated complaints stating that the Board’s polling places contain architectural barriers that render the facilities inaccessible to voters with disabilities at some locations.”
The United States is represented by Senior Civil Rights Counsel Kelly Horan Florio and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thandiwe Boylan of the U.S. Attorney’s Civil Rights Division.
Individuals who believe they may have been victims of discrimination may file a complaint with the U.S Attorney’s Office here or call the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Rights Complaint Hotline at (855) 281-3339.
Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Department of Justice’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TDD).
