Justice Department Secures Agreements with Smith County to Ensure Election Website Accessibility for People with Disabilities

TYLER, Texas – Smith County has entered into a settlement agreement which resolves findings it violated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by maintaining an election website that discriminates against individuals with vision or manual disabilities, announced Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.  

“The Eastern District of Texas is committed to ensuring that all eligible voters, including those with disabilities, can access critical election information,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.  “By entering into this settlement agreement, Smith County has taken a significant step towards removing barriers and promoting inclusivity on their election websites. This ensures that voters in the Eastern District of Texas with impairments are not disenfranchised and can fully participate in the democratic process."

The county’s election website provides essential information about how to vote, such as registration requirements, identification requirements and voting information for people with disabilities. The website also links to other critical information, including details about early voting and voting on election day.

Under the settlement agreement, Smith County agreed to make all future and existing online election content accessible to people with disabilities. The county also agreed to hire an independent auditor to evaluate the accessibility of their election website’s content, provide notice to visitors and users of the website to solicit comments and requests about any accessibility barriers, designate an employee to coordinate its efforts, revise its procedures and train relevant personnel.

This investigation is part of the Department of Justice’s ADA Voting Initiative, which safeguards the voting rights of individuals with disabilities. To read more about the ADA and how it applies to voting, please visit Voting and Polling Places. This settlement agreement is also part of the Department of Justice’s Tech Equity Initiative to combat disability discrimination that occurs through technology such as websites and mobile apps.

The Eastern District of Texas is committed to vigorously enforcing the ADA. Additional information is available at Civil Rights Division for the Eastern District of Texas.

This case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aimee Cooper.  

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