AB 535

Current law requires that each polling place be accessible to all individuals with disabilities. No later than June 30 of each odd-numbered year, the Elections Commission must submit a report on impediments to voting faced by the elderly and individuals with disabilities to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature. The commission must consult with appropriate advocacy groups representing the elderly and individuals with disabilities when preparing the report.

This bill requires the Elections Commission to establish an election day accessibility checklist for an election official to complete at each polling place to assess whether the polling place presents any limitations that may prevent individuals with disabilities from voting. The bill requires the election official to immediately notify the chief inspector or municipal clerk of any such limitations. The commission must establish the checklist before the 2027 spring election. In addition, the commission must periodically update the checklist no later than 12 months following the release of the report that the commission must submit to the legislature regarding impediments to voting faced by the elderly and individuals with disabilities.

Under current law, if an election inspector is informed that a voter is at the polling place entrance but unable to enter the polling place because of the voter’s disability, the inspector must allow the voter to receive assistance marking the voter’s ballot at the polling place entrance. This process is often referred to as “curbside voting.” The bill requires the Elections Commission to provide uniform instructions for the content and placement of signs notifying voters with disabilities that they may receive a ballot and voting assistance at the polling place entrance. The commission must publish the instructions before the 2027 spring election.