Travis County Commissioners Court
January 24, 2006
Item A1
A 1 is to discuss and approve the following orders for the March 7, 2006 joint primary election. A is a main early voting location, b early voting permanent polling locations, and c early voting mobile polling locations.
>> thank you, judge, for the -- for the March 7th Travis County joint primary election for the democratic and republican primaries, the polling places are listed before you. We are fortunate that we are going to be able to return to most of the locations that our voters have grown accustomed to. The main location will be -- will be airport boulevard. However we will also offer voting at the courthouse as well. We thank the vendors who allow us, especially the grocery stores, who allow us to come into their workplaces and offer voting for their customers and our voters. We are guests in their home and we very much appreciate their hospitality. Other questions?
>> one question about the -- about the -- we move from the david chapel location. There was an ada issue, right? I was asked a question and I think the question kind of went to how were we able to make that determination and I answered that somebody from the county would have gone out and in person done the inspection and I further offered that in -- this was some state standard that we had to follow or maybe somebody called to our attention that there was a deficiency that we by law had to remedy. Now, is that -- I think that was true, that was based on our recollection, kind of came out of the clear blue, didn't have a chance to prepare for it. Is that basically what happened?
>> it is. If I could just add a couple of clarifications to that. And david chapel is one that really touches our heart. It had been a polling place that had been our host for so many years, so we were sad to lose it. The -- the a.d.a. Assessments are done by a -- a very proper, laid out checklist that is given to us by the federal government. And it says point by point you go in and you check all of the things like the slope of the driveway, the parking ing places, the pathway to get inside the building. As well as door widths, thresholds, ramps, the more common things that we are used to thinking about. That a.d.a. Checklist is very thorough. And we are finding that some of our most beloved and most favorite polling places are in fact not fully accessible according to the checklist provided by the federal government. So as a result of that, Travis County is required under federal law to seek a polling place that does meet those requirements. Hence david chapel was called into question because there were numerous issues with that polling place. So numerous that the cost for the church to bring it into federal compliance with a.d.a. Was beyond what would be reasonable for them. And then, of course, there was the timing issue, too, of getting those repairs accomplished.
>> well, we asked to do it in person.
>> in person checklist assessment. Absolutely.
>> okay.
>> I’m glad you brought that point up, too, judge, because I had gotten some similar deals on that. But of course we -- we looked at it, that did come back before the court some time ago and tried to answer the best we could with what were presented to us. However, during that earlier discussion, on looking at 128, david chapel church, of course we looked at -- ended up going to the givens park situation, which has a -- has all of the accessible things. Of course that is on the other side of airport boulevard and 12th and at the givens park area, whereas this 128 david chapel off of chestnut and martin luther king, jr. Is of course something that has been a long polling place for many, many years. For precinct 128. But also I think in that regard I think that -- the episcopal, the 126 polling place now has also been combined into the -- into the area where givens park is --
>> I believe that's correct, yes, givens.
>> I’m sorry.
>> saint james episcopal chapel.
>> [indiscernible]
>> right. Which was -- which was off of martin luther king, jr. And franklin almost at that intersection where they also will end up going to the givens park accessible polling place at givens park. So again there was some things that we had looked at also in combining those two brought out some -- we kind of flushed it out also in that regard, judge. Thanks for bringing it up.
>> thank you, just on a personal note we send our love and gratitude to david chapel and saint james episcopal. You know they are dear friends and, you know, we regret that, you know, their facilities are beginning to age and don't pass the new standards. But that doesn't mean that we don't love them and appreciate what they have done for us in the past. But our duty under the law is to provide a polling place that is accessible for all of our citizens and so givens recreation center met that federal test.
>> and the givens worked out well last election.
>> we believe so.
>> they actually [indiscernible]
>> could you come up to the mike, please.
>> to the other side.
>> we believe it will. Now that I recall, they were under construction.
>> kim [indiscernible], Travis County elections. We wanted to use givens at the last election, they were going through a remodel process and they were not available. Our first election that we will use them will be this primary election, we will be posting signs at the churches to direct voters to the new location and they have also been informed with the new voter registration card.
>> we will have a chance to test it out, because we do have another major election, well runoffs, but in terms of major election the city council elections will be coming up two months later.
>> exactly.
>> thank.
>> but the gubernatorial this should be, you know, pretty well versed within the community.
>> okay.
>> judge, I have questions about the -- the one that I have got is really on an election day. That's really a 2, not a 1. When we get there.
>> anything further on a 1? So the -- so the -- the request is to approve the -- the recommended early voting location, is that plural or singular.
>> early voting locations.
>> may --
>> oh, yes.
>> just one main early voting.
>> okay.
>> then the -- the voting permit polling locations and the early voting mobile locations, I move approval.
>> second.
>> discussion? Further? All in favor? That passes by unanimous vote.
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Last Modified:
Wednesday, January 25, 2006 9:19 AM