Assistance for Voters with Accessibility Issues

The Kings County Elections Department, in accordance with state and federal law, works with voters with accessibility concerns to help them exercise their right to vote.  This page provides general information about these efforts, and voters are encouraged to contact us with specific requests for assistance.

Accessibility Advisory Committees (LAAC and VAAC) 

The Kings County Elections Department has established two citizen advisory committees to make recommendations for improving access to voting and election materials. The Language Accessibility Advisory Committee (LAAC) is designed to advise and assist the Elections Department in ensuring that no voters in Kings County encounter language barriers while voting.  The Voting Accessibility Advisory Committee (VAAC) is designed to advise and assist the Elections Department in ensuring all voters in Kings County can vote independently and privately. For more information, please see the links below.

Kings County LAAC Page

Kings County VAAC Page

Language Assistance in Tagalog and Spanish  

Translations of select elections materials along with over the phone translation assistance in Tagalog will be available in person at the Elections Department and Vote Centers for your convenience. You may also request any translated materials be mailed directly to you by contacting us. Please contact the Elections Office at least seven days before Election Day so we have ample time to get it to you.  

Facsimile ballots translated in Tagalog are available upon request at the Vote Centers or the Elections Office.  A facsimile ballot is a translation aid that will help you complete your official ballot independently.  If you would like to request a Facsimile ballot in Tagalog be mailed to you, please contact the Elections Office at least seven days before Election Day so we have ample time to get it to you.  

All elections related materials along with in-person translation assistance in Spanish is available over the phone or in-person at the Elections Department and Vote Centers for your convenience. Translated Spanish materials are already included with your election related materials.

All state provided election related materials are available in multiple languages.  Please visit sos.ca.gov for translated election information.        

Vote Center and Ballot Drop-off Location Accessibility

Vote Centers and Ballot Drop-off locations are selected using Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines from the Polling Place Accessibility Checklist provided by the Secretary of State's office. This checklist is used to find accessible locations. If a barrier is a found that may keep a person from entering a Vote Center or using a Ballot Drop Box, the Elections Department will make changes to the site on or before Election Day by using additional equipment and signs.

If you feel a Vote Center or Drop Box Location is not fully accessible, please contact our office by phone (559-852-4401 or 1-800-289-9981 ext. 4401) or e-mail elections@countyofkings.com with your concerns.  Please be as detailed as possible and we will work to re-survey and re-assess the voting site.

Accessible Voting Supplies

All Vote Centers will have magnifying glasses, pen grips, signature guide cards, and staff to assist all voters. There will be at minimum 2 traditional accessible voting booths and a minimum of 3 accessible ballot marking devices available to all voters at our Vote Centers. 

Accessible Ballot Marking Device at a Vote Center

The Kings County Elections Department will have 2 ballot marking devices available for use starting 29 days before Election Day.  All Vote Centers will have a minimum of 3 ballot marking devices available for use by all voters.  

Kings County uses the ImageCast X Ballot Marking Device from Dominion Voting Systems.  Some of the features of the device include:

• A touchscreen tablet, with options to change text size and contrast on the tablet
• An Audio Tactile Interface (ATI) keypad with Braille for easy navigation
• Headphones and Audio Instructions in English and Spanish
• A privacy mask, which will turn off the touchscreen display for voters who are blind or with low vision to ensure their votes are kept private as they use the Audio Instructions
• The ability to allow voters to use their own assistive devices such as Paddles or Sip and Puff attachments.

The ballot marking device is just that, a marking device.  It does not tabulate or count any votes. After the voter confirms their selections on the “Review” screen, the voter must print their ballot selections and place it in the ballot box in order for their ballot to be counted.

To see the Ballot Marking Device along with it's accessibility features in action, please view this video brought to you by the National  Federation of the Blind. 

Assistance with Voting 

Under California law, any voter who needs help in casting a ballot is entitled to request assistance. A Vote Center worker can provide assistance, or the voter may select up to two people to help cast their vote inside a voting booth. The person(s) assisting the voter may not be their employer, employer’s agent, or their labor union leader or agent.

Curbside Voting

For any voter who cannot physically access a Vote Center due to physical barriers, health related reasons, or accessibility needs, there is the option to vote “curbside”. You can either call the Elections Office or have another person with you, such as a family member, friend, or attendant, enter the Vote Center and request the service. A trained Vote Center member will get you checked in and provide you a ballot, all without leaving the comfort of your vehicle. You may sit in your car and vote or if you choose, vote at the door or as close as possible to the building. To use the service or to schedule an appointment for curbside voting please contact the Elections Office by phone at (559) 852-4401 / 1-800-289-9981 ext. 4401 or e-mail elections@countyofkings.com. Remember to tell us what Vote Center you are at, so we can get someone out to assist you.  

Marking Your Ballot at Home

For information regarding Vote-by-Mail voting, please visit this page:

Vote-by-Mail Information page

For information regarding access to the Remote Accessible Vote-By-Mail system, please visit this page:

RAVBM Information page

Materials in Accessible Formats

The Kings County Voter Information Guides are available in a larger print. You may request these materials by contacting our office by phone at (559) 852-4401 / 1-800-289-9981 ext. 4401 or e-mail elections@countyofkings.com.

Electronic versions of all Voter Information Guides will be available on our website starting 29 days before Election Day. These guides will contain information such as Vote Center and Ballot Drop Box locations, local measure text, and statements from candidates in local races such as school board members, Board of Supervisors, City Councils, House of Representative members, and State Legislature members.

Use this link to access the PDF version of the Voter Information Guides

Signing Election Documents

If you cannot sign your name and have no other legal mark that you use in place of signing your name, make an “X” or other simple mark, if possible, on the signature line of your Vote-by-Mail return envelope. You must have another person write your name near your mark and then sign as a witness on the appropriate line on the Vote-by-Mail return envelope. The person witnessing your mark must be at least 18 years old. The Elections Department highly recommends that you complete a new Voter Registration Form using your new mark as your signature to eliminate the need for a witness signature.

You may use an approved signature stamp to sign your election documents. For more information about using a signature stamp, please call (559) 852-4401 / 1-800-289-9981 ext. 4401 or e-mail elections@countyofkings.com.