(a) On or before July 1, 1980, each polling place shall be made accessible to and usable by persons with physical disabilities by complying with the following standards of accessibility: (1) Doors, entrances, and exits used to gain access to or egress from the polling place shall have a minimum width of thirty-one inches; (2) temporary ramps shall be made available or curb cuts provided where necessary for accessibility to the entrance; (3) any stairs necessarily used to enter the polling place shall have a temporary handrail and ramp; (4) in the polling place, no barrier shall impede the path of a person with physical disability to the voting booth.

(b) The registrars of voters in each town, or the legislative body of the town, shall select as polling places only those sites which meet the standards of accessibility required under the State Building Code, as revised pursuant to section 29-269, if applicable, or this section. The registrars of voters in each town shall file with the Secretary of the State either: (1) A certification, as prescribed by the Secretary of the State, that states that each polling place selected complies with the provisions set forth in this subsection, or (2) an application for waiver, as described in subsection (c) of this section.

(c) The registrars or such legislative body may select a site not meeting such standards if no available site within the voting district or town can reasonably be made accessible if an application for waiver is filed with and approved by the building official of the town who shall file a copy of such approval with the Secretary of the State. An application for waiver shall be filed at least sixty days prior to the date on which the primary or election will be held. The Secretary of the State shall, not later than thirty days after the waiver application is filed, file a written objection to such waiver if the Secretary has reason to believe such waiver should not be granted.

(P.A. 78-117, S. 1; P.A. 83-587, S. 10, 96; P.A. 84-319, S. 26, 49; P.A. 88-356, S. 1; 88-364, S. 12, 123; P.A. 89-144, S. 2; P.A. 06-137, S. 1; P.A. 17-96, S. 4; 17-202, S. 12.)

History: P.A. 83-587 made a technical amendment to Subsec. (b), substituting reference to Sec. 29-269 for reference to Sec. 19-395a; P.A. 84-319 amended section to require approval of waiver application by office of protection and advocacy for handicapped and developmentally disabled persons; P.A. 88-356 and 88-364 amended Subsec. (b) to delete reference to “article 21” of the state building code; P.A. 89-144 amended Subsec. (c) by substituting the office of protection and advocacy for persons with disabilities for the office of protection and advocacy for handicapped and developmentally disabled persons; P.A. 06-137 amended Subsec. (b) to add requirement re filing of certification or waiver application with Secretary of the State, effective January 1, 2007; P.A. 17-96 amended Subsec. (c) by replacing provision re application for waiver to be filed with Secretary of the State and approved by Office of Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities with provision re application for waiver to be filed and approved by building official of town who shall file copy of approval with Secretary of the State, and replacing provisions re Secretary of the State to refer application to office of protection and advocacy and notify applicant of approval or disapproval within 7 days with provision re Secretary of the State to file written objection to waiver if Secretary has reason to believe waiver should not be granted, effective July 1, 2017; P.A. 17-202 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing references to physically disabled persons with references to persons with physical disabilities.