Polling sites fall short for disabled
Most locations raise accessibility problems

By Jason Thomas Indianapolis Star
September 25, 2004
 
A May survey found that 95 percent of Johnson County's polling sites are not compliant with a federal law requiring accessibility for disabled voters.

The eye-opening data has county officials sweating a 2006 deadline requiring all sites to meet the American with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines under the Help America Vote Act.

Count Us IN, an advocacy group for the disabled under the Indiana Governor's Planning Council For People With Disabilities, is charged with surveying all of Indiana's polling sites to ensure accessibility.

After surveying during the May primary, the group found that only four of Johnson County's 81 polling sites were in compliance meaning that 95 percent fell short.

"We found very quickly that we're going to have a difficult time finding places in compliance," said Johnson County Clerk Jill Jackson.

The Help America Vote Act was adopted in October 2002 following the 2000 presidential flap in Florida. The measure bans punch card and lever-machine voting by 2006.

As a result, Johnson County invested $2.4 million in touch-screen voting machines from Nebraska-based Election Systems & Software.

Due to a software problem, Johnson County opted not to use the machines for the general election, instead using paper ballots with optical scan machines the third procedure in as many elections for Johnson County voters.

The Help America Vote Act also requires each site to be accessible a problem facing counties throughout the state. Julia Vaughn, project director for Count Us IN, said each of the 49 counties surveyed so far faces issues similar to those in Johnson County.

Some of the problems are minor, such as providing adequate parking and enough space for wheelchairs between tables.

But Judy Champa, a member of the survey team that visited Johnson County, said she noted a crumbling sidewalk unsuitable for her motorized wheelchair.

How to pay for the changes is the biggest problem. With an already thin budget, Johnson County would like a slice of available federal funding to implement any changes.

"We're hoping we're going to be counted in with the grant money," Jackson said. "We don't have any other means to try and fix a lot of the issues that the survey team had with the polling sites."

County officials are expected to meet with state representatives next year to come up with a plan.

State officials canceled a meeting earlier this year because of computer problems, according to Johnson County attorney Joe Pitcher.

Other solutions include finding new polling sites.

"I expect a shuffling of polling sites," Pitcher said. "Some that we have been using just can't be brought up to snuff."

Using privately owned buildings poses another problem.

"We're trying to figure out how to bring them into compliance," Jackson said. "We just can't go into a facility and say, 'OK, put a ramp in here.' Our fear is that we're going to lose a bunch of these sites because they have to comply."

Either way, Jackson said she is committed to ensuring all residents can vote.

"The last thing in the world we would want is for the sites not to be accessible," she said. "We want everybody to vote."