Voters With Disabilities

HomeVoters With Disabilities

Accessible Polling Locations and Voting Machines

By law, all polling locations in Texas must be accessible. The building must be accessible, and designated voting machines must be accessible for those with disabilities in all federal elections. In low population locations (<20,000) in non-federal elections, those machines may or may not be available at a given location. Recommendation: Call the Elections Office to check, 512-393-7310.

Curbside Voting

Anyone not physically able to enter the polls is able to request curbside voting. The Elections Office requests you call them (512-393-7310) when you get to the polling location so the poll workers can prepare to bring a voting machine to you. If you will be going at a busy hour or day of voting, it is wise to call the Elections Office before you go to the voting location to allow extra time to prepare.

Assistance Voting

Disabled voters may have assistance to vote. The assistant could be the person of your choice or an election worker.

Interpreters at the Polls. If you cannot read English, you may bring the person of your choice (but not your employer, employer's agent, or agent of your union) to provide language assistance with election clerks and to translate the ballot in the voting booth after taking an Oath of Assistance. Likewise a sign language interpreter may be brought to assist in communication with election clerks.

Your assistant must read you the entire ballot, unless you ask to have only parts of the ballot read. He or she must also take an oath affirming that he or she will not try to influence your vote and will mark your ballot as you direct.

If you choose to be assisted by election clerks, a poll watcher and/or state election inspector present in the polling place may observe the voting process to verify that the ballot has been marked as you wanted. If you ask to be assisted by a person of your choosing, no one else may watch you vote.

It is illegal for a person assisting you to:
•   mark your ballot in a way other than the way you have asked;
•   tell anyone how you voted; or
•   try to influence your vote.

(Source: https://hayscountytx.com/departments/elections/resources/elections-frequently-asked-questions/)

Other Voting Option

Disabled voters qualify for a mail-in ballot. Such a ballot must be applied for on an annual basis. The Application for Ballot by Mail (English)(Spanish) has a box that can be checked if you wish to get a mail-in ballot in every election that year. If you wish to vote in a primary election, also check the box beside the political party in which you wish to vote.

More details on Voting by Mail at the link.

Voters with a Disability and Voter I.D.

Voters with a disability may apply with the Hays County Elections Administrator/Voter Registrar (English and Spanish) for permanent exemption to presenting an acceptable photo I.D. It also exempts them from needing to complete the Reasonable Impediment Declaration procedure in the county.

The application must contain written documentation from either the U.S. Social Security Administration that includes evidence of the applicant’s disability, or from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs showing a disability rating of at least 50 percent. The applicant must also state that he/she does not have a form of identification prescribed by Section 63.0101 of the Texas Election Code. Those who obtain a disability exemption will have their voter registration certificate state the exemption, won't need to fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration, and can vote by showing their voter registration certificate.

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