COBB COUNTY, Ga. — The U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday that they’d reached a settlement with the Cobb County Board of Elections over a multi-year compliance issue surrounding accessibility at polling sites for the disabled.
According to the Justice Department, the court fight had sprung from an issue with physical barriers at polling sites that prevented people with disabilities from having voting access.
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The USDOJ said Cobb County was cooperative as federal officials reviewed 50 polling locations during three election cycles from 2016 to 2024.
Ahead of the November presidential election, USDOJ said it was important to ensure all voters had an equal opportunity to vote.
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“During this election year, it is appropriate to remember that voting is a fundamental right and hallmark of our democracy; therefore, a person with a disability should have an equal opportunity to cast a ballot in person on Election Day,” U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan said in a statement. “We applaud the commitment of the Cobb County Board of Elections to work closely with our office to ensure that citizens with disabilities in Cobb County can vote alongside their family, friends, and neighbors at their local precinct, and do so with the same ease and convenience as nondisabled voters.”
Going forward, Cobb County will make corrections to physical barriers at polling locations ahead of the presidential race and will conduct a systemic review and ensure accessibility for all future polling locations, the USDOJ said.
According to the settlement agreement reached with the Cobb County Board of Elections, the county will “employ temporary measures to make polling places accessible for the November 2024 general election. They will also train their poll workers on the County’s obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act and how to use the temporary measures on Election Day.”
Additionally, when the county picks new polling sites for future elections, they will ensure new locations are Americans with Disabilities Act accessible.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to monitor the agreement’s enactment and provide technical assistance as needed, Justice officials said.
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