SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - Disability rights advocates hope to convince county election officials across South Dakota to make sure polling places are able to accommodate people with disabilities before the November election.
Tim Neyhart with South Dakota Advocacy Services says equal access is key.
Neyhart says people with disabilities, including those with mobility impairments, should be able to travel from their transportation, into the polling place and access the booth with the same level of ease as that person who does not have a disability.
Neyhart urges election officials setting up polling places to think ahead.
He says just because a polling place has been in use for forty years doesn't mean that it's accessible. Officials need to think about what accessibility means. It means making sure that their pathof travel is clear and that the polling place is big enough for people to maneuver around tables.
Neyhart says individuals with a disability can also vote by absentee ballot in South Dakota.
(Thanks Greater Dakota News Service)