US and Hidalgo County Reach Collaborative Agreement on Polling Place Access for Voters with Disabilities

McALLEN, Texas – The United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) has reached a settlement under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with Hidalgo County, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez. Title II prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by a state or local government in any of its programs or services, including its voting program. The agreement announced today will greatly improve physical accessibility at the county’s polling places for individuals who use wheelchairs and other mobility aids and for individuals who are blind or have vision impairments. 

“The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy,” said Martinez. “This agreement will ensure that persons with mobility disabilities and vision impairments have equal opportunities to exercise their right to vote in person at their assigned polling place, just like their neighbors. The USAO is committed to continued, vigorous enforcement of the panoply of federal civil rights laws aimed at securing the right to vote for all Americans, including the ADA. We commend Hidalgo County for its cooperation in our investigation as well as the county’s commitment to make its voting program fully accessible.”

Under the terms of the settlement, accessibility will be a major criterion in the county’s selection of polling places. To make that assessment, the county will use an evaluation form for each prospective polling place based on ADA architectural standards. The county has agreed either to relocate inaccessible polling places to accessible facilities or to use temporary measures such as portable ramps, signs, traffic cones and remote signaling devices where appropriate to ensure accessibility on Election Day.

Hidalgo County, working with the Civil Rights Section of the USAO, is striving to provide individuals with disabilities the opportunity to vote at the polls throughout Hidalgo County.

For more information on the ADA, visit www.ada.gov. ADA complaints may be filed by email to ada.complaint@usdoj.gov or within the Southern District of Texas at usatxs.civilrights@usdoj.gov.