AB 545 (Pellerin) – Elections: Access for Voters with Disabilities
AB 545 (Pellerin) – Elections: Access for Voters with Disabilities
AB 545 will improve in-person accessible voting for voters with disabilities. Key provisions include mandatory curbside voting, readily available handheld magnifiers, and signature guides at all voting locations across the state.
Background
Curbside Voting:
Curbside voting allows voters to vote in their car at in-person voting locations. Curbside voting allows people with disabilities to avoid standing for prolonged periods of time and for people to reduce exposure if immunocompromised.
Recent poll monitoring demonstrates the need for curbside requirements because it is not offered equally in California. Curbside voting availability and signage was surveyed during a large-scale poll monitoring project during the November 2022 General Election. The poll monitoring project observed 247 voting locations in 16 counties. Only about half of the voting locations had curbside signage posted. Five of the counties had no signage at any voting locations. In many of the voting locations, election workers confirmed for observers that curbside voting was technically available at a given location even though there was often no signage displayed.
Handheld Magnifiers and Signature Guides:
While many voting locations have these tools, they are often overlooked or left in storage behind the voter check-in station. Recent poll monitoring projects demonstrate the availability of such tools is uneven across different voting locations. AB 545 seeks to standardize the presence and display of these vital aids, ensuring that they are accessible to every voter who may need them.
The solution is AB 545 which will:
- Require that all in-person voting locations offer curbside voting.
- Establish uniform requirements for curbside voting statewide.
- Create clear requirements to improve the supplies, services and practices at voting locations impacting voters with disabilities.
The bill would also remove the requirement for voters with disabilities to swear under oath if they need assistance completing a ballot. This is rarely required in practice and overly burdensome for voters with disabilities.
Where is the bill now?
- AB 545 passed out of Senate and is on the Governor's desk for signature or veto.
- AB 545 passed out of Assembly on May 31st. It will be heard next in the Senate Election Committee
We need your help to pass this bill! What can you do?
Submit a letter of support for AB 545 to Committee. You can find a sample support letter to submit here.