I completed my MPA internship during Summer 2017 with the Jefferson County Board of Registrars. I was hired to complete poll site accessibility checks for all 171 poll sites located within the county, which was required under an agreement with the DOJ. During my time with Jefferson County, I was able to expand my knowledge on poll site accessibility and become extremely familiar with the requirements for Election Day compliance. Surveying all 171 poll sites not only helped me recognize accessibility infractions, but it also helped me understand how to implement both temporary and permanent measure to ensure accessibility. In addition to my extensive work in poll site checks, I was also able to put what I had learned in my Election Administration coursework to use. At the end of my internship there was a special election for the senate seat primary. In helping prepare for the election, I assembled all poll books for each poll site, gathered together all materials for poll workers on Election Day, and sealed everything up to be sent to each poll site. On Election Day I was able to answer phones and help voters find their poll site, answer questions about the election, as well as handle complaints of voter intimidation.

​

My time with Jefferson County taught me an immeasurable amount about how elections are run and how to ensure poll site accessibility. I loved being able to join together my passion of the ADA along with what I had been learning in my Election Administration coursework in a practical way and it lead to my extensive research I completed during my second year of the MPA program.

 

You can find my research targeted toward poll site accessibility here