The WEC conducts audits of polling places during each election.  Listed below are the most common accessibility problems identified as a result of those visits.  Click on each item for details and photos of best practices and common problems associated with each problem.

The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) created a requirement that every polling place have accessible voting equipment available for each election.  The State of Wisconsin used funds provided through HAVA to assist municipalities with purchasing accessible voting equipment.  By 2006, every municipality in the state met this requirement and six accessible voting systems are currently in use statewide.

Any eligible Wisconsin voter can vote by absentee ballot for each election.  Absentee voting can be done by mail or in-person in the clerk’s office.

If you choose to voter an absentee ballot by mail, you must make a request in writing or fill out an absentee ballot request form and send it to your municipal clerk.  You may request an absentee ballot for a specific election or for all elections within a calendar year.

Details

All facilities that serve as polling places must have accessible parking available on Election Day.  For facilities with off-street parking (i.e. parking lots/areas) there must be at least one Van-Accessible parking space available and the number of required additional accessible parking spaces is determined by the total number of parking spaces in the parking area

Details

State law requires that a table or booth be available for voters with disabilities who wish to cast a paper ballot and who do not wish to use the accessible voting system.  This booth or table should meet all ADA requirements for height, width and toe/knee clearance (figure 1).  The booth or table also should be clearly visible when voters enter the voting area and be positioned or set up to ensure voter privacy.

Details

All doors at accessible entrances must be able to be opened with a closed fist using 8 pounds of force or less.  In addition, all doors along the interior route of a polling place from the accessible entrance to the voting area need to meet the same standard.  Meeting this standard allows all voters to gain access to the facility and voting area without assistance. 

Details

Interior routes are any hallway or corridor that a voter would have to travel from the accessible entrance to the voting area. These areas should be well lit on Election Day and free from obstacles that could pose a hazard for voters with vision problems or voters who use a wheelchair or walker.

Common obstacles that can be relocated for Election Day include folding tables, trash cans and chairs. Permanent fixtures, such as drinking fountains and display cases, should be marked with a cane-detectable barrier or object such as a traffic cone.

Details

All polling place doors that a voter with a disability would have to open must have hardware, such as a lever or bar, which is usable with one hand without tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist (figure 1). A municipality can also choose to install an electronic accessible feature, such as an automatic opener or wireless doorbell, to ensure that voters can access the facility and voting area without assistance.

(figure 1)

 The Wisconsin Elections Commission, formerly the Government Accountability Board, partnered with the Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition to create a training video for clerks and poll workers focused on accessible voting issues.  The video features voters with disabilities, advocates and local election officials discussing their experiences with polling place accessibility.  This 11 minute video can be used as part of a training program for poll workers in preparation for Election Day.

What to Expect During a Site Visit:

Auditors from the Wisconsin Elections Commission will review five different areas of a facility that serves as a polling place: the parking area, the pathway from the parking area to the accessible entrance, the accessible entrance, any interior routes to the voting area and the voting area itself.