Adams County expands polling access with developmental disabilities partnership

Adams County will make Election Day more open to residents with developmental disabilities by turning a one-time volunteer pilot into an ongoing partnership between the Board of Developmental Disabilities and the Board of Elections. The agreement, which takes effect May 1, 2026, gives people served by ACBDD a formal way to volunteer at polling locations during both primary and general elections, moving the county from a trial effort to a permanent civic-access program.

The change grew out of the November 2025 Election Day cycle, when ACBDD participants volunteered at polling places across the county. The effort used short rotating shifts so several people could take part without becoming overwhelmed. Some volunteers were entering a polling place in person for the first time. Others, who had voted absentee before, were able to engage more directly with the process and see how local elections function from the inside.

Charissa Gardner, who serves as ACBDD Support and Service Administrator and also works as a Voting Location Manager for the Board of Elections, helped connect the two agencies and coordinate the initial rollout. Her role put disability services and election administration at the same table, making the effort easier to repeat countywide. For families and caregivers, the new arrangement offers something beyond symbolism: it creates a predictable path for community participation on the same day neighbors are casting ballots, working precincts and keeping local elections moving.

The partnership also sits squarely inside a larger legal obligation. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires state and local election officials to ensure people with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote in every election, and Ohio Secretary of State guidance says voters with disabilities should be able to vote privately and independently. Ohio election-access resources include accessible in-person voting, absentee voting and online voter registration. ADA guidance also notes that election officials can use temporary measures, such as portable ramps or door stops, to remove barriers on Election Day.

That matters in Adams County, where the November 4, 2025 ballot included countywide levies, school board races, township and village contests, and local tax and liquor issues. In a county where local decisions directly shape daily life, making polling places more inclusive is also a way to widen the pool of people who understand and support the voting process. ACBDD says its mission is to help people with developmental disabilities live, learn, work and be involved in their community, and the new agreement extends that mission into the civic life of West Union and the rest of Adams County.

The Board of Developmental Disabilities is led by chairman Anthony Baker and vice-chairman Sherry Larson, with Roberta Ayres, Judy Hazelbaker, Naman Stapleton, Ty Pell and Susan Sexton also serving. Its West Union office is at 116 W. Mulberry Street, a local anchor for a partnership that now gives county election workers and residents a durable model for inclusion.