Common use of POLLING PLACES Clause in Contracts

POLLING PLACES. Some Merced County polling places may be owned or operated by other public entities subject to title II or by public accommodations subject to title III and therefore they must provide program access or remove barriers to accessibility under the ADA. This Agreement does not limit future enforcement action against the owners or operators of these polling places. Before designating any new polling place, Merced County will survey the polling place using the survey instrument at Attachment F to determine whether it has barriers to access by people with disabilities in the parking, exterior route to the entrance, entrance, interior route to the voting area, or voting area. If Merced County finds any barriers, Merced County will not use the polling place until all barriers have been remedied. The United States surveyed some of Merced County's polling places. Barriers to access at polling places owned by Merced County and the dates by which Merced County will remove barriers are listed in Attachments I, J, and K. Barriers to access at surveyed polling places not owned by Merced County are listed in Attachment E. Within one (1) month of the effective date of this Agreement, Merced County will request in writing that each of the polling place owners and operators listed in Attachment E remove the listed barriers to access for people with disabilities within nine (9) months of the effective date of this Agreement. Merced County will provide a copy of the Department of Justice's ADA Checklist for Polling Places (xxx.xxx.xxx/xxxxxxxx.xxx) with its written requests. Merced County will simultaneously send courtesy copies of the requests to the United States. Within one (1) year of the effective date of this Agreement, the XXX hired by Merced County will survey all facilities listed in Attachment E to determine whether the listed barriers have been removed. If each listed barrier has not been removed, then, for that polling place, Merced County will identify within eighteen (18) months of the effective date of this Agreement an alternate fully accessible polling place; and comply with paragraph 24 in doing so. Merced County will immediately change its polling place to the alternative location. Merced County will remove barriers at each polling place identified in Attachment E or substitute an alternative accessible polling place before the next election occurring eighteen (18) months or later after the effective date of this Agreement. Within six (6) months of the effective date of this Agreement, using the survey instrument at Attachment F, the XXX hired by Merced County will survey all polling places not surveyed by the United States to identify barriers to access by people with disabilities in the parking, exterior route to the entrance, entrance, interior route to the voting area, and voting area. For each surveyed polling place, Merced County will then either (1) remove all barriers to access by people with disabilities and have the XXX confirm this to the United States or (2) identify an alternate polling place with no barriers to access by people with disabilities and comply with paragraph 24 in doing so. Merced County will then take immediate steps to change each new inaccessible polling place to an alternative accessible location. Merced County will remove barriers at each polling place the United States did not survey and have the XXX confirm this or substitute an alternative accessible polling place before the next election occurring nine (9) months or later after the effective date of this Agreement. Until all polling places in each precinct or voting district have accessible parking, accessible routes to the accessible entrance, accessible entrances, accessible interior routes to the voting area, and an accessible voting area, prior to each election, Merced County will identify and widely publicize to the public, people with disabilities, and organizations serving people with disabilities the most accessible polling place(s) in each precinct and voting district. Within three (3) months of the effective date of this Agreement, Merced County will provide Election Day balloting for voters with disabilities whose assigned polling place has accessibility barriers. The method for providing these opportunities may include implementing temporary remedies to make the polling place accessible on election day, allowing the individual to vote at another nearby accessible polling place, to vote by an absentee ballot that is accepted if postmarked on the day of the election (or picked up by election officials at the home of the voter on the same day as the election), to vote curbside at the inaccessible polling place, or to vote by any other method that affords the same degree of information as is available to others. Within six (6) months of the effective date of this Agreement, the XXX hired by Merced County will survey its voter registration locations for accessibility using the form at Attachment F. The XXX will report the results of this survey to the United States. If Merced County identifies barriers to access, then Merced County will remove the barriers and have the XXX confirm the same to the United States or report to the United States its plan to provide program access that may include allowing people to register to vote through alternative means or at alternative locations verified to be accessible by the XXX. This provision does not modify, alter, or change Merced County's obligations under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, 42 U.S.C. § 1973gg-5(a),(b). Within three (3) months of the effective date of this Agreement, Merced County will make all voter registration materials available in alternate formats, including Braille, large print, audio tape, and accessible electronic format (e.g., HTML). Within the month prior to the next election and annually thereafter during the term of this Agreement, Merced County will train poll workers on the rights of people with disabilities and the practical aspects of assuring those rights. The training will cover, at a minimum, the need to maintain the physical accessibility of polling locations, how to assist people with disabilities, as necessary, and how to operate any non-standard voting equipment, including accessible voting systems, or accessible features of standard equipment. This provision does not modify, alter, or change Merced County's obligations under the Help America Vote Act, 42 U.S.C. § 15301. I. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES AND POLICIES Merced County's Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) must comply with the ADA. Merced County will use Chapter 7 of the Department of Justice's ADA Best Practices Tool Kit for State and Local Government (ADA Tool Kit) to address ADA obligations of emergency management, including planning, preparedness, evacuation, shelters, medical and social services, lodging and housing programs, recovery, and rebuilding. Within sixty (60) days of the effective date of this Agreement, Merced County will incorporate the provisions of Chapter 7 of the ADA Tool Kit into its EOP and provide a copy (including supporting documents) to the United States. Merced County's EOP will include the following: procedures to solicit, receive, and use input from people with a variety of disabilities on its emergency management plan (preparation, notification, response, and clean-up); community evacuation plans to enable people who have mobility disabilities, are blind or have low vision, are deaf or hard of hearing, have cognitive disabilities, mental illness, or other disabilities to safely self-evacuate or be evacuated by others. if its emergency warning system uses sirens or other audible alerts, then procedures to effectively inform people who are deaf or hard of hearing of an impending disaster. a requirement that emergency shelters have a back-up generator and a way to keep medications refrigerated (such as a refrigerator or a cooler with ice). Access to back-up power and refrigeration at such shelters will be made available to people whose disabilities require access to electricity and refrigeration, for example, for using life-sustaining medical devices, providing power to motorized wheelchairs, and preserving certain medications, such as insulin, that require refrigeration. The written procedures will include a plan for notifying people of the location of such shelters. procedures ensuring that people who use service animals are not separated from their service animals when sheltering during an emergency, even if pets are normally prohibited in shelters. The procedures will not segregate people who use service animals from others but may take into account the potential presence of people who, for safety or health reasons, should not be in contact with certain types of animals. plans for providing equivalent opportunities for accessible post-emergency temporary housing to people with disabilities. Merced County will ensure that information it makes available regarding temporary housing includes information on accessible housing (such as accessible hotel rooms within the community or in nearby communities) that could be used if people with disabilities cannot immediately return home after a disaster if, for instance, necessary accessible features such as ramps or electrical systems have been compromised.

POLLING PLACES. Some Merced County polling places may be owned or operated by other public entities subject to title II or by public accommodations subject to title III and therefore they must provide program access or remove barriers to accessibility under the ADA. This Agreement does not limit future enforcement action against the owners or operators of these polling places. Before designating any new polling place, Merced the County will survey the polling place using the survey instrument at Attachment F to determine whether it has barriers to access by people with disabilities in the parking, exterior route to the entrance, entrance, interior route to the voting area, or voting area. If Merced the County finds any barriers, Merced the County will not use the polling place until all barriers have been remedied. The United States surveyed some of Merced the County's polling places. Barriers to access at polling places owned by Merced the County and the dates by which Merced the County will remove barriers are listed in Attachments I, J, and K. Barriers to access at surveyed polling places not owned by Merced the County are listed in Attachment E. Within one (1) month of the effective date of this Agreement, Merced the County will request in writing that each of the polling place owners and operators listed in Attachment E remove the listed barriers to access for people with disabilities within nine (9) months of the effective date of this Agreement. Merced The County will provide a copy of the Department of Justice's ADA Checklist for Polling Places (xxx.xxx.xxx/xxxxxxxx.xxx) with its written requests. Merced The County will simultaneously send courtesy copies of the requests to the United States. Within one (1) year of the effective date of this Agreement, the XXX hired by Merced the County will survey all facilities listed in Attachment E to determine whether the listed barriers have been removed. If each listed barrier has not been removed, then, for that polling place, Merced the County will identify within eighteen (18) months of the effective date of this Agreement an alternate fully accessible polling place; and comply with paragraph 24 25 in doing so. Merced The County will immediately change its polling place to the alternative location. Merced The County will remove barriers at each polling place identified in Attachment E or substitute an alternative accessible polling place before the next election occurring eighteen (18) months or later after the effective date of this Agreement. Within six (6) months of the effective date of this Agreement, using the survey instrument at Attachment F, the XXX hired by Merced the County will survey all polling places not surveyed by the United States to identify barriers to access by people with disabilities in the parking, exterior route to the entrance, entrance, interior route to the voting area, and voting area. For each surveyed polling place, Merced the County will then either (1) remove all barriers to access by people with disabilities and have the XXX confirm this to the United States or or, (2) identify an alternate polling place with no barriers to access by people with disabilities and comply with paragraph 24 25 in doing so. Merced The County will then take immediate steps to change each new inaccessible polling place to an alternative accessible location. Merced The County will remove barriers at each polling place the United States did not survey and have the XXX confirm this or substitute an alternative accessible polling place before the next election occurring nine (9) months or later after the effective date of this Agreement. Until all polling places in each precinct or voting district have accessible parking, accessible routes to the accessible entrance, accessible entrances, accessible interior routes to the voting area, and an accessible voting area, prior to each election, Merced the County will identify and widely publicize to the public, people with disabilities, and organizations serving people with disabilities the most accessible polling place(s) in each precinct and voting district. Within three (3) months of the effective date of this Agreement, Merced the County will provide Election Day balloting for voters with disabilities whose assigned polling place has accessibility barriers. The method for providing these opportunities may include implementing temporary remedies to make the polling place accessible on election day, allowing the individual to vote at another nearby accessible polling place, to vote by an absentee ballot that is accepted if postmarked on the day of the election (or picked up by election officials at the home of the voter on the same day as the election), to vote curbside at the inaccessible polling place, or to vote by any other method that affords the same degree of information as is available to others. Within six (6) months of the effective date of this Agreement, the XXX hired by Merced the County will survey its voter registration locations for accessibility using the form at Attachment F. The XXX will report the results of this survey to the United States. If Merced the County identifies barriers to access, then Merced the County will remove the barriers and have the XXX confirm the same to the United States or report to the United States its plan to provide program access that may include allowing people to register to vote through alternative means or at alternative locations verified to be accessible by the XXX. This provision does not modify, alter, or change Merced the County's obligations under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, 42 U.S.C. § 1973gg-5(a),(b1973gg-5(a), (b). Within three (3) months of the effective date of this Agreement, Merced the County will make all voter registration materials available in alternate formats, including Braille, large print, audio tape, and accessible electronic format (e.g., HTML). Within the month prior to the next election and annually thereafter during the term of this Agreement, Merced the County will train poll workers on the rights of people with disabilities and the practical aspects of assuring those rights. The training will cover, at a minimum, the need to maintain the physical accessibility of polling locations, how to assist people with disabilities, as necessary, and how to operate any non-standard voting equipment, including accessible voting systems, or accessible features of standard equipment. This provision does not modify, alter, or change Merced the County's obligations under the Help America Vote Act, 42 U.S.C. § 15301. I. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES AND POLICIES Merced County's Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) must comply with the ADA. Merced County will use Chapter 7 of the Department of Justice's ADA Best Practices Tool Kit for State and Local Government (ADA Tool Kit) to address ADA obligations of emergency management, including planning, preparedness, evacuation, shelters, medical and social services, lodging and housing programs, recovery, and rebuilding. Within sixty (60) days of the effective date of this Agreement, Merced County will incorporate the provisions of Chapter 7 of the ADA Tool Kit into its EOP and provide a copy (including supporting documents) to the United States. Merced County's EOP will include the following: procedures to solicit, receive, and use input from people with a variety of disabilities on its emergency management plan (preparation, notification, response, and clean-up); community evacuation plans to enable people who have mobility disabilities, are blind or have low vision, are deaf or hard of hearing, have cognitive disabilities, mental illness, or other disabilities to safely self-evacuate or be evacuated by others. if its emergency warning system uses sirens or other audible alerts, then procedures to effectively inform people who are deaf or hard of hearing of an impending disaster. a requirement that emergency shelters have a back-up generator and a way to keep medications refrigerated (such as a refrigerator or a cooler with ice). Access to back-up power and refrigeration at such shelters will be made available to people whose disabilities require access to electricity and refrigeration, for example, for using life-sustaining medical devices, providing power to motorized wheelchairs, and preserving certain medications, such as insulin, that require refrigeration. The written procedures will include a plan for notifying people of the location of such shelters. procedures ensuring that people who use service animals are not separated from their service animals when sheltering during an emergency, even if pets are normally prohibited in shelters. The procedures will not segregate people who use service animals from others but may take into account the potential presence of people who, for safety or health reasons, should not be in contact with certain types of animals. plans for providing equivalent opportunities for accessible post-emergency temporary housing to people with disabilities. Merced County will ensure that information it makes available regarding temporary housing includes information on accessible housing (such as accessible hotel rooms within the community or in nearby communities) that could be used if people with disabilities cannot immediately return home after a disaster if, for instance, necessary accessible features such as ramps or electrical systems have been compromised.

POLLING PLACES. Some Merced County polling places may be owned or operated by other public entities subject to title II or by public accommodations subject to title III and therefore they must provide program access or remove barriers to accessibility under the ADA. This Agreement does not limit future enforcement action against the owners or operators of these polling places. Before designating any new polling place, Merced the County will survey the polling place using the survey instrument at Attachment F to determine whether it has barriers to access by people with disabilities in the parking, exterior route to the entrance, entrance, interior route to the voting area, or voting area. If Merced the County finds any barriersbarriers pursuant to its survey of the polling place, Merced the County will not use the polling place until all barriers have been remedied. Moreover, the County is required by the ADA to select facilities in which to provide its voting programs, services, or activities in a manner that does not have the effect of excluding individuals with disabilities from, denying them the benefits of, or otherwise subjecting them to discrimination. 28 C.F.R. § 35.130(b)(4). The United States surveyed some of Merced County's polling places. Barriers to access at County does not own any polling places owned by Merced County and other than the dates by Elections Office, which Merced County will remove barriers are listed in Attachments I, J, and K. was not surveyed. Barriers to access at surveyed polling places not owned by Merced the County are listed in Attachment E. Within one two (12) month months of the effective date of this Agreement, Merced the County will request in writing that each of the polling place owners and operators listed in Attachment E remove the listed barriers to access for people with disabilities within nine (9) months of the effective date of this Agreement. Merced The County will provide a copy of the Department of Justice's ADA Checklist for Polling Places (xxx.xxx.xxx/xxxxxxxx.xxx) with its written requests. Merced The County will simultaneously send courtesy copies of the requests to the United States. For polling places that have been modified to address the violations since the survey, the County may provide the United States with documentation of the corrective modifications in lieu of sending the aforementioned written request. Within one (1) year of the effective date of this Agreement, the XXX hired by Merced the County will survey all facilities listed in Attachment E that are still designated polling places to determine whether the listed barriers have been removed. If each listed barrier has not been removed, then, removed for that polling place, Merced the County will identify within eighteen (18) months of the effective date of this Agreement an alternate fully accessible polling place; place and comply with the requirements of paragraph 24 in doing so23 of this Agreement. Merced The County will immediately take immediate steps to change its polling place to the alternative location. Merced The County will remove barriers at each polling place identified in Attachment E or substitute an alternative accessible polling place before the next election occurring eighteen twenty four (1824) months or later after the effective date of this Agreement. Within six nine (69) months of the effective date of this Agreement, using the survey instrument at Attachment F, the XXX hired by Merced the County will survey all polling places not surveyed by the United States to identify barriers to access by people with disabilities in the parking, exterior route to the entrance, entrance, interior route to the voting area, and voting area. For each surveyed polling place, Merced the County will then either (1) remove all barriers to access by people with disabilities and or have the XXX confirm this to the United States States; or (2) identify an alternate polling place with no barriers to access by people with disabilities and comply with paragraph 24 in doing sothe requirements of Paragraph 23 of this Agreement. Merced The County will then take immediate steps to change each new inaccessible polling place to an alternative accessible location. Merced The County will remove barriers at each polling place the United States did not survey and have the XXX confirm this or substitute an alternative accessible polling place before the next election occurring nine (9) months or later after the effective date completion of this Agreementthe ILA's survey. Until The County will identify and widely publicize to the public, people with disabilities, and organizations serving people with disabilities the most accessible polling place(s) until the County ensures that all polling places in each precinct or voting district have accessible parking, accessible routes to the accessible entrance, accessible entrances, accessible interior routes to the voting area, and an accessible voting area, prior to each election. Within three (3) years of the effective date of the Agreement, Merced the County will identify and widely publicize only select polling places that have an accessible entrance, an accessible path to the publicentrance, people with disabilitiesaccessible parking, accessible signage, and organizations serving people with disabilities an accessible interior route to the most accessible polling place(s) in each precinct and voting districtarea. Within three (3) months of the effective date of this Agreement, Merced the County will provide Election Day balloting for voters with disabilities whose assigned polling place has accessibility barriersdisabilities. The method for providing these opportunities may include implementing temporary remedies to make the polling place accessible on election day, allowing the individual to vote at another nearby accessible polling place, to vote by an absentee ballot that is accepted if postmarked on the day of the election (or picked up by election officials at the home of the voter on the same day as the election), to vote curbside at the inaccessible polling place, or to vote by any other method that affords the same degree of information as is available to othersvoters without disabilities. Within six (6) months of the effective date of this Agreement, ,the XXX hired by Merced the County will survey its voter registration locations for accessibility the County Registrar's Office using the form at Attachment F. The XXX will report the results of this survey to the United States. If Merced the County identifies barriers to access, then Merced the County will remove the barriers and have the XXX confirm the same to the United States or report to the United States its plan to provide program access that may include allowing people to register to vote through alternative means or at alternative locations verified to be accessible by the XXX. This provision does not modify, alter, or change Merced the County's obligations under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, 42 U.S.C. § 1973gg-5(a),(b1973gg-5(a), (b). Within three (3) months of the effective date of this Agreement, Merced the County will make all County-created voter registration materials available in alternate formats, including Braille, large print, audio tape, and accessible electronic format (e.g., HTML). Within the one (1) month prior to the next election and annually thereafter during the term of this Agreement, Merced the County will train poll workers on the rights of people with disabilities and the practical aspects of assuring those rights. The training will cover, at a minimum, the need to maintain the physical accessibility of polling locations, how to assist people with disabilities, as necessary, and how to operate any non-standard voting equipment, including accessible voting systems, or accessible features of standard equipment. This provision does not modify, alter, or change Merced the County's obligations under the Help America Vote Act, 42 U.S.C. § 15301. I. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES AND POLICIES Merced County's Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) must comply with the ADA. Merced County will use Chapter 7 of the Department of Justice's ADA Best Practices Tool Kit for State and Local Government (ADA Tool Kit) to address ADA obligations of emergency management, including planning, preparedness, evacuation, shelters, medical and social services, lodging and housing programs, recovery, and rebuilding. Within sixty (60) days of the effective date of this Agreement, Merced County will incorporate the provisions of Chapter 7 of the ADA Tool Kit into its EOP and provide a copy (including supporting documents) to the United States. Merced County's EOP will include the following: procedures to solicit, receive, and use input from people with a variety of disabilities on its emergency management plan (preparation, notification, response, and clean-up); community evacuation plans to enable people who have mobility disabilities, are blind or have low vision, are deaf or hard of hearing, have cognitive disabilities, mental illness, or other disabilities to safely self-evacuate or be evacuated by others. if its emergency warning system uses sirens or other audible alerts, then procedures to effectively inform people who are deaf or hard of hearing of an impending disaster. a requirement that emergency shelters have a back-up generator and a way to keep medications refrigerated (such as a refrigerator or a cooler with ice). Access to back-up power and refrigeration at such shelters will be made available to people whose disabilities require access to electricity and refrigeration, for example, for using life-sustaining medical devices, providing power to motorized wheelchairs, and preserving certain medications, such as insulin, that require refrigeration. The written procedures will include a plan for notifying people of the location of such shelters. procedures ensuring that people who use service animals are not separated from their service animals when sheltering during an emergency, even if pets are normally prohibited in shelters. The procedures will not segregate people who use service animals from others but may take into account the potential presence of people who, for safety or health reasons, should not be in contact with certain types of animals. plans for providing equivalent opportunities for accessible post-emergency temporary housing to people with disabilities. Merced County will ensure that information it makes available regarding temporary housing includes information on accessible housing (such as accessible hotel rooms within the community or in nearby communities) that could be used if people with disabilities cannot immediately return home after a disaster if, for instance, necessary accessible features such as ramps or electrical systems have been compromised.

POLLING PLACES. Some Merced County polling places may be owned or operated by other public entities subject to title II or by public accommodations subject to title III and therefore they must provide program access or remove barriers to accessibility under the ADA. This Agreement does not limit future enforcement action against the owners or operators of these polling places. Before designating any new polling place, Merced the County will survey the polling place using the survey instrument at Attachment F to determine whether it has barriers to access by people with disabilities in the parking, exterior route to the entrance, entrance, interior route to the voting area, or voting area. If Merced the County finds any barriers, Merced the County will not use the polling place until all barriers have been remedied. The United States surveyed some of Merced the County's ’s polling places. Barriers to access at polling places owned by Merced the County and the dates by which Merced the County will remove barriers are listed in Attachments I, J, and K. Barriers to access at surveyed polling places not owned by Merced the County are listed in Attachment E. Within one (1) month of the effective date of this Agreement, Merced the County will request in writing that each of the polling place owners and operators listed in Attachment E remove the listed barriers to access for people with disabilities within nine (9) months of the effective date of this Agreement. Merced The County will provide a copy of the Department of Justice's ’s ADA Checklist for Polling Places (xxx.xxx.xxx/xxxxxxxx.xxx) with its written requests. Merced The County will simultaneously send courtesy copies of the requests to the United States. Within one (1) year of the effective date of this Agreement, the XXX hired by Merced the County will survey all facilities listed in Attachment E to determine whether the listed barriers have been removed. If each listed barrier has not been removed, then, for that polling place, Merced the County will identify within eighteen (18) months of the effective date of this Agreement an alternate fully accessible polling place; and comply with paragraph 24 25 in doing so. Merced The County will immediately change its polling place to the alternative location. Merced The County will remove barriers at each polling place identified in Attachment E or substitute an alternative accessible polling place before the next election occurring eighteen (18) months or later after the effective date of this Agreement. Within six (6) months of the effective date of this Agreement, using the survey instrument at Attachment F, the XXX hired by Merced the County will survey all polling places not surveyed by the United States to identify barriers to access by people with disabilities in the parking, exterior route to the entrance, entrance, interior route to the voting area, and voting area. For each surveyed polling place, Merced the County will then either (1) remove all barriers to access by people with disabilities and have the XXX confirm this to the United States or (2) identify an alternate polling place with no barriers to access by people with disabilities and comply with paragraph 24 25 in doing so. Merced The County will then take immediate steps to change each new inaccessible polling place to an alternative accessible location. Merced The County will remove barriers at each polling place the United States did not survey and have the XXX confirm this or substitute an alternative accessible polling place before the next election occurring nine (9) months or later after the effective date of this Agreement. Until all polling places in each precinct or voting district have accessible parking, accessible routes to the accessible entrance, accessible entrances, accessible interior routes to the voting area, and an accessible voting area, prior to each election, Merced the County will identify and widely publicize to the public, people with disabilities, and organizations serving people with disabilities the most accessible polling place(s) in each precinct and voting district. Within three (3) months of the effective date of this Agreement, Merced the County will provide Election Day balloting for voters with disabilities whose assigned polling place has accessibility barriers. The method for providing these opportunities may include implementing temporary remedies to make the polling place accessible on election day, allowing the individual to vote at another nearby accessible polling place, to vote by an absentee ballot that is accepted if postmarked on the day of the election (or picked up by election officials at the home of the voter on the same day as the election), to vote curbside at the inaccessible polling place, or to vote by any other method that affords the same degree of information as is available to others. Within six three (63) months of the effective date of this Agreement, the XXX hired by Merced the County will survey its voter registration locations for accessibility using the form at Attachment F. The XXX will report the results of this survey to the United States. If Merced the County identifies barriers to access, then Merced the County will remove the barriers and have the XXX confirm the same to the United States or report to the United States its plan to provide program access that may include allowing people to register to vote through alternative means or at alternative locations verified to be accessible by the XXX. This provision does not modify, alter, or change Merced the County's ’s obligations under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, 42 U.S.C. § 1973gg-5(a),(b1973gg-5(a), (b). Within three (3) months of the effective date of this Agreement, Merced the County will make all voter registration materials available in alternate formats, including Braille, large print, audio tape, and accessible electronic format (e.g., HTML). Within the month prior to the next election and annually thereafter during the term of this Agreement, Merced the County will train poll workers on the rights of people with disabilities and the practical aspects of assuring those rights. The training will cover, at a minimum, the need to maintain the physical accessibility of polling locations, how to assist people with disabilities, as necessary, and how to operate any non-standard voting equipment, including accessible voting systems, or accessible features of standard equipment. This provision does not modify, alter, or change Merced the County's ’s obligations under the Help America Vote Act, 42 U.S.C. § 15301. I. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES AND POLICIES Merced County's Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) must comply with the ADA. Merced County will use Chapter 7 of the Department of Justice's ADA Best Practices Tool Kit for State and Local Government (ADA Tool Kit) to address ADA obligations of emergency management, including planning, preparedness, evacuation, shelters, medical and social services, lodging and housing programs, recovery, and rebuilding. Within sixty (60) days of the effective date of this Agreement, Merced County will incorporate the provisions of Chapter 7 of the ADA Tool Kit into its EOP and provide a copy (including supporting documents) to the United States. Merced County's EOP will include the following: procedures to solicit, receive, and use input from people with a variety of disabilities on its emergency management plan (preparation, notification, response, and clean-up); community evacuation plans to enable people who have mobility disabilities, are blind or have low vision, are deaf or hard of hearing, have cognitive disabilities, mental illness, or other disabilities to safely self-evacuate or be evacuated by others. if its emergency warning system uses sirens or other audible alerts, then procedures to effectively inform people who are deaf or hard of hearing of an impending disaster. a requirement that emergency shelters have a back-up generator and a way to keep medications refrigerated (such as a refrigerator or a cooler with ice). Access to back-up power and refrigeration at such shelters will be made available to people whose disabilities require access to electricity and refrigeration, for example, for using life-sustaining medical devices, providing power to motorized wheelchairs, and preserving certain medications, such as insulin, that require refrigeration. The written procedures will include a plan for notifying people of the location of such shelters. procedures ensuring that people who use service animals are not separated from their service animals when sheltering during an emergency, even if pets are normally prohibited in shelters. The procedures will not segregate people who use service animals from others but may take into account the potential presence of people who, for safety or health reasons, should not be in contact with certain types of animals. plans for providing equivalent opportunities for accessible post-emergency temporary housing to people with disabilities. Merced County will ensure that information it makes available regarding temporary housing includes information on accessible housing (such as accessible hotel rooms within the community or in nearby communities) that could be used if people with disabilities cannot immediately return home after a disaster if, for instance, necessary accessible features such as ramps or electrical systems have been compromised.

POLLING PLACES. Some Merced County San Xxxx County, New Mexico polling places may be are owned or operated by other public entities subject to title II or by public accommodations subject to title III and therefore they must provide program access or remove barriers to accessibility under the ADA. This Agreement does not limit future enforcement action against the owners or operators of these polling places. Before designating any new polling place, Merced County San Xxxx County, New Mexico will survey the polling place using the survey instrument at Attachment F to determine whether it has barriers to access by people with disabilities in the parking, exterior route to the entrance, entrance, interior route to the voting area, or voting area. If Merced County San Xxxx County, New Mexico finds any barriers, Merced County San Xxxx County, New Mexico will not use the polling place until all barriers have been remedied. The United States surveyed some of Merced CountySan Xxxx County New Mexico's polling places. Barriers to access at polling places owned by Merced County San Xxxx County, New Mexico and the dates by which Merced County San Xxxx County, New Mexico will remove barriers are listed in Attachments I, J, and K. Barriers X. Xxxxxxxx to access at surveyed polling places not owned by Merced County San Xxxx County, New Mexico are listed in Attachment E. Within one six (16) month months of the effective date of this Agreement, Merced County San Xxxx County, New Mexico will request in writing that each of the polling place owners and operators listed in Attachment E remove the listed barriers to access for people with disabilities within nine one (91) months year of the effective date of this Agreement. Merced County San Xxxx County, New Mexico will provide a copy of the Department of Justice's ADA Checklist for Polling Places (xxx.xxx.xxx/xxxxxxxx.xxx) with its written requests. Merced County San Xxxx County, New Mexico will simultaneously send courtesy copies of the requests to the United States. Within one (1) year of the effective date of this Agreement, the XXX hired by Merced County San Xxxx County, New Mexico will survey all facilities listed in Attachment E to determine whether the listed barriers have been removed. If each listed barrier has not been removed, then, for that polling place, Merced County San Xxxx County, New Mexico will identify within eighteen (18) months of the effective date of this Agreement an alternate fully accessible polling place; and comply with paragraph 24 23 in doing so. Merced County San Xxxx County, New Mexico will immediately change its polling place to the alternative location. Merced County San Xxxx County, New Mexico will remove barriers at each polling place identified in Attachment E or substitute an alternative accessible polling place before the next election occurring eighteen (18) months or later after the effective date of this Agreement. Within six (6) months of the effective date of this Agreement, using the survey instrument at Attachment F, the XXX hired by Merced County San Xxxx County, New Mexico will survey all polling places not surveyed by the United States to identify barriers to access by people with disabilities in the parking, exterior route to the entrance, entrance, interior route to the voting area, and voting area. For each surveyed polling place, Merced County San Xxxx County, New Mexico will then either (1) remove all barriers to access by people with disabilities and have the XXX confirm this to the United States or (2) identify an alternate polling place with no barriers to access by people with disabilities and comply with paragraph 24 23 in doing so. Merced County San Xxxx County, New Mexico will then take immediate steps to change each new inaccessible polling place to an alternative accessible location. Merced County San Xxxx County, New Mexico will remove barriers at each polling place the United States did not survey and have the XXX confirm this or substitute an alternative accessible polling place before the next election occurring nine (9) months or later after the effective date of this Agreement. Until all polling places in each precinct or voting district have accessible parking, accessible routes to the accessible entrance, accessible entrances, accessible interior routes to the voting area, and an accessible voting area, prior to each election, Merced County San Xxxx County, New Mexico will identify and widely publicize to the public, people with disabilities, and organizations serving people with disabilities the most accessible polling place(s) in each precinct and voting district. Within three (3) months of the effective date of this Agreement, Merced County San Xxxx County, New Mexico will provide Election Day balloting for voters with disabilities whose assigned polling place has accessibility barriers. The method for providing these opportunities may include implementing temporary remedies to make the polling place accessible on election day, allowing the individual to vote at another nearby accessible polling place, to vote by an absentee ballot that is accepted if postmarked on the day of the election (or picked up by election officials at the home of the voter on the same day as the election), to vote curbside at the inaccessible polling place, or to vote by any other method that affords the same degree of information as is available to others. Within six nine (69) months of the effective date of this Agreement, ,the XXX hired by Merced County San Xxxx County, New Mexico will survey its voter registration locations for accessibility using the form at Attachment F. The XXX will report the results of this survey to the United States. If Merced County San Xxxx County, New Mexico identifies barriers to access, then Merced County San Xxxx County, New Mexico will remove the barriers and have the XXX confirm the same to the United States or report to the United States its plan to provide program access that may include allowing people to register to vote through alternative means or at alternative locations verified to be accessible by the XXX. This provision does not modify, alter, or change Merced County's the obligations under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, 42 U.S.C. § 1973gg-5(a),(b). Within three one (31) months year of the effective date of this Agreement, Merced County San Xxxx County, New Mexico will make all voter registration materials available in alternate formats, including Braille, large print, audio tape, and accessible electronic format (e.g., HTML). Within the month prior to the next election and annually thereafter during the term of this Agreement, Merced County San Xxxx County, New Mexico will train poll workers on the rights of people with disabilities and the practical aspects of assuring those rights. The training will cover, at a minimum, the need to maintain the physical accessibility of polling locations, how to assist people with disabilities, as necessary, and how to operate any non-standard voting equipment, including accessible voting systems, or accessible features of standard equipment. This provision does not modify, alter, or change Merced the San Xxxx County, New Mexico's obligations under the Help America Vote Act, 42 U.S.C. § 15301. I. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES AND POLICIES Merced County's Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) must comply with the ADA. Merced County will use Chapter 7 of the Department of Justice's ADA Best Practices Tool Kit for State and Local Government (ADA Tool Kit) to address ADA obligations of emergency management, including planning, preparedness, evacuation, shelters, medical and social services, lodging and housing programs, recovery, and rebuilding. Within sixty (60) days of the effective date of this Agreement, Merced County will incorporate the provisions of Chapter 7 of the ADA Tool Kit into its EOP and provide a copy (including supporting documents) to the United States. Merced County's EOP will include the following: procedures to solicit, receive, and use input from people with a variety of disabilities on its emergency management plan (preparation, notification, response, and clean-up); community evacuation plans to enable people who have mobility disabilities, are blind or have low vision, are deaf or hard of hearing, have cognitive disabilities, mental illness, or other disabilities to safely self-evacuate or be evacuated by others. if its emergency warning system uses sirens or other audible alerts, then procedures to effectively inform people who are deaf or hard of hearing of an impending disaster. a requirement that emergency shelters have a back-up generator and a way to keep medications refrigerated (such as a refrigerator or a cooler with ice). Access to back-up power and refrigeration at such shelters will be made available to people whose disabilities require access to electricity and refrigeration, for example, for using life-sustaining medical devices, providing power to motorized wheelchairs, and preserving certain medications, such as insulin, that require refrigeration. The written procedures will include a plan for notifying people of the location of such shelters. procedures ensuring that people who use service animals are not separated from their service animals when sheltering during an emergency, even if pets are normally prohibited in shelters. The procedures will not segregate people who use service animals from others but may take into account the potential presence of people who, for safety or health reasons, should not be in contact with certain types of animals. plans for providing equivalent opportunities for accessible post-emergency temporary housing to people with disabilities. Merced County will ensure that information it makes available regarding temporary housing includes information on accessible housing (such as accessible hotel rooms within the community or in nearby communities) that could be used if people with disabilities cannot immediately return home after a disaster if, for instance, necessary accessible features such as ramps or electrical systems have been compromised.