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Making Voting Accessible

Helping America Vote

About the Quick Start Guides: The EAC's Quick Start Guides are intended to familiarize local election officials with various topics

they will likely encounter in election administration. The guides are a starting point to identify areas of concern and give officials a

broad idea of factors they should consider in approaching a given topic.

Accessibility

As defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a disability is a physical or mental impairment

that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities. While some disabilities are visible, many

are not, and people who do not identify as disabled may also benefit from accessible equipment and

materials. It is estimated that voters with disabilities make up 1/6th of the American electorate.

Know Your Responsibilities

Ensure polling places are accessible to voters with disabilities.

Deploy at least one (or more, if state law requires) accessible voting machine at each location.

Train poll workers to set up and operate accessible voting equipment and interact with voters with

disabilities to ensure their right to privately and independently vote or receive the assistance of a

representative.

Serve all people with disabilities, including those in the community and at nursing or residential care

facilities.

Have an Accessibility Strategy

Use common, easy-to-understand words (plain language). Avoid technical or specialized language. 

Strategically locate polling places and ballot drop boxes if permitted by law, so they are easily accessible to public transportation

(where available). If possible, use the same locations for both early voting and Election Day. 

Ask area organizations that serve people with disabilities to identify accessible buildings or conduct accessibility surveys of

polling places.

Give poll workers a diagram of the interior and exterior setup requirements for each polling place. Include placement of signage

required by the Americans with Disabilities Act and any applicable state laws. Post interior and exterior accessible voting

diagrams on your office’s website.

Post videos with captions or American Sign Language on how to cast a ballot and use voting equipment. Use traditional and

social media to promote your site. Link to online voter registration, the sample ballot, and accessible polling places. Encourage

poll workers to view the videos so they can assist voters on Election Day.

Develop a training module devoted to accessibility. Include setting up the polling place, managing lines, providing assistance to

voters, using accessible voting devices, and setting up and using the voting equipment accessibility features.

Print a reminder card for poll workers about accessibility. Encourage poll workers to use it on Election Day.

Make accessibility a key component of your office’s strategy for managing the voting process:

Make sure outreach activities reach all voters, including those with disabilities:

Form a committee of full-time and part-time staff and poll workers. Identify the various types of disabilities.

Develop solutions for voters with different types of disabilities. Review every step in the voting process and

critique your current practices. 

Partner with local organizations that serve people with disabilities. These organizations may be able to

help distribute material and collect feedback.

Establish a task force of election officials throughout your state, or develop a statewide outreach program

to voters with disabilities. 

Recruit poll workers from local groups that serve people with disabilities. 

Register voters and provide Election Day services at assisted living and long-term care facilities.  

Update your website, tell voters how to request election material in alternative formats, and ask voters

with disabilities to notify your office about their Election Day needs.

Increase Community Outreach

May 1, 2022 v. 1.0 1 EAC | Helping America Vote

eac.gov clearinghouse@eac.gov @EACgov @eacgov1 @us.eac
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Making Voting Accessible

Use Accessible Methods

Ensure online accessibility of your website.

Seek an outside review to ensure your website meets accessibility laws and requirements. Common

problem areas are screen reader access, semantic organization, skip navigation, keyboard access,

contrast, text sizing and scaling, and tab order.

Ask local organizations that serve people with disabilities to review your website's usability and accessibility

features.

Provide accessible voter registration options, including online registration.

Note: All online forms should be readable, downloadable, and fillable online. A guide to Accessible

Voter Registration can be found on the EAC website: https://www.eac.gov/best-practicesaccessible-voter-registration.

Use large print and braille voter registration forms.

Provide a range of accessible voting options, including accessible voting equipment and accessible drop

boxes for mail-in ballots if permitted by law.

Allow voters to use curbside voting to mark, cast, and verify their ballots privately and independently if

permitted by law.

Drop Box Accessibility

Ballot drop boxes can provide voters with a secure and convenient method to return their ballots if permitted

by law. Here are some ways to make sure your drop box is accessible:

Design:

The ballot slot should be no higher than 48 inches from the ground.

The ballot slot should be within 15 inches of the voter.

If there is a door (or cover) on the ballot slot, this should take no more than 5 lbs. of force to open.

If there is a door (or cover) on the ballot slot, it should be able to be opened and closed with a closed fist

(without grasping, pinching, or twisting of the wrist).

All gaps and cracks in the drop box should be sealed.

Signage:

Use tactile notifications, including raised lettering and braille.

Provide sound indicators, including locator tones, auditory announcements, auditory locators.

Use text with large characters and high contrast.

May 1, 2022 v. 1.0 2 EAC | Helping America Vote

eac.gov clearinghouse@eac.gov @EACgov @eacgov1 @us.eac