BISBEE, Ariz. (10/28/2022) – Cochise County encourages all its citizens to vote!
A settlement has been reached with the Arizona Center for Disability Law (ACDL), which stemmed from a 2019 complaint filed by a Cochise County resident who attempted to vote from her vehicle during the 2018 Mid Term Election on Election Day, when the ability to vote at the curbside had been removed. At the time of the 2018 Election, a May 3, 2018, policy was in place in which it had been announced that Cochise County voting centers were fully ADA compliant, and that curbside voting was to be discontinued.
WHAT HAS CHANGED FOR VOTERS WITH DISABILITIES WHO WISH TO VOTE FROM THEIR VEHICLES?
Voters with disabilities may now request curbside voting accommodation at any Cochise County voting center, so long as the request is made to the Elections Dept. at least 15 days prior to the date of the election. Election workers will then be equipped to pre-print a paper ballot that can be brought to the voter’s vehicle. This policy went into effect before the current mid term election, and was announced in a news release dated August 16, 2022, which also included the following:
- Cochise County Vote Centers are ADA accessible.
- All voters may sign up for a ballot by mail. Receive a ballot by mail automatically for every election you’re eligible to vote in or a one-time request for an election by contacting the Recorder’s Office.
- Any voter may vote early, in person, at the Recorder’s Office which is fully ADA accessible. You can avoid lines and crowds and vote up to three weeks before a scheduled election day.
- Accessible voting devices are available at all voting locations with trained poll workers able to assist any voter.
- Cochise County voters may request braille or large print ballots by calling (520) 432-8970 at least ten days prior to an election.
- Voters who need assistance due to a confining illness or disability may request a Special Election Board to help you to vote from your home. Call (520) 432-8358 or email recorder@cochise.az.gov for more information and include your Full Name, Residence Address, Contact Information, and Date of Birth for verification purposes.
- Please note: the deadline to apply for curbside voting for the November 8, 2022 election was on October 24, 2022. Voters can request this accommodation for future elections.
WHAT SHOULD I KNOW ABOUT THE SETTLEMENT?
- After the County introduced the updated policy in August 2022, the parties in the litigation met in a settlement conference on October 3, 2022 to resolve any issues that remained in the case
- The terms included payment to the ACDL of $5,000 and agreement on the details of the information the County would provide to voters and processes for the County’s curbside voting policy.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CURBISDE VOTING CAN BE FOUND ON THE COCHISE COUNTY ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT WEBSITE.