FY27/FY28 Polling Place Accessibility Grant (HAVA)
🏛 Illinois State Board of Elections
✓ Free, no account · Source: Illinois GATA Catalog (CSFA) · Last verified Oct 3, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for Illinois jurisdictions seeking funding to improve voting accessibility. Local election authorities, school districts, and municipal governments that operate polling places in Illinois may apply. The program funds permanent and temporary improvements to remove barriers preventing voters with disabilities from voting privately and independently. Projects must address documented accessibility issues identified through local needs assessment or the statewide Polling Place Survey Project.
Applicants must obtain quotes for proposed improvements and submit a project narrative explaining accessibility barriers and solutions. Cost-sharing is not required. Funds must be used only for the specific projects described in the approved application.
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Program description
These funds are to address areas of inaccessibility in Illinois’ polling places. Funding is prioritized to correct barriers to accessing polling places – working toward the goal that all Illinois voters are able to exercise their right to vote privately and independently.
Funding is allocated based on quotes and narratives provided from jurisdictions who applied for the Polling Place Accessibility Grant, need, and reports from the statewide Polling Place Survey Project.
This grant funding should not be used to purchase and/or fund other projects but should be used to fund the projects approved in your submitted application. Allowable expenditures may include the following:
Permanent improvements: The awarded funds may be used for permanent improvements (e.g. permanent ramp) on public buildings only. Care should be taken to ensure that funds are not exhausted on a few expensive improvements if that would leave other polling places not improved at all. Please discuss these with your State’s Attorney pior to applying.
Signage: There should be signs from the parking area directing the voter along the accessible path of travel from parking to polling place. Signs should indicate the location of, and how to get to, the accessible entrance. Since the accessible entrance is often around the side or back of a building, and the polling place is not right inside, signs should be placed inside the building directing the voter (along an accessible path) to the polling place area. lnside the polling place, signs should indicate what services (e.g. assistance in the voting booth) and equipment are available for voters with disabilities; these should be placed near the area where adaptive equipment, (magnifiers and enlarged styluses and paper and pens for communicating with the deaf) is located. Signs may be purchased from many vendors, some of whom specialize in signs relating to voting accessibility.
Parking: Where parking is provided, it is necessary to designate parking spaces for voters with disabilities (such as with signs or cones). Notably, the 2010 standards require specific signs indicating van-accessible parking spots. Where street parking is the only choice, a space near a curb-cut should be marked off by signs and cones.
Heavy/locked doors: ln cold weather, propping doors open may not be an option. Moreover, schools and other facilities are increasingly unwilling to have their doors left open, and in some instances even require that they remain locked. ln these instances, a portable alert system (e.g. bell, intercom) can be used. These should be used along with signs instructing the voter to ring for assistance and access.
lnaccessible door Hardware: For doors that have hardware that cannot be manipulated by a closed fist, the alert system referred to above may be used. Alternatively, there are available for purchase, hardware retrofit kits that may render the door accessible.
Gravel and other rough surfaces: Othenrvise accessible polling places may only be reachable only by traveling on gravel and other surfaces that are inhospitable to wheelchair and cane users and, thus, may make a polling place inaccessible. Matting, which smooths out the surface is available for purchase.
Steps: Steps higher than 1/2 inch are not accessible to wheelchair users. Attention must also be paid to the slope. Portable, temporary ramps may be purchased for entrances and interior spaces where only a few steps are involved or where slope is too steep. These are available from a number of vendors and would be retained by the election authority for use in future elections.
Door Width: The width of a doorway is affected by its hinges. Door widening hinges can be used to widen a door up to 2 inches. To be accessible, the width of a door should be at least 32 inches; however, a width of 36 inches is recommended.
Voting Booths: Accessible voting booths (for wheelchair users and others requiring a seated position) should be provided in each polling place. These booths should provide adequate clearance for the chair – adequate width and adequate reach. They should also have a screen for privacy.
Training: There is a continuing need for training of judges and poll workers in the best ways to assist voters with disabilities, especially in the use and display of adaptive equipment and in formulating creative, flexible, and respectful solutions to problems that may arise.
Accessible Websites: Already created websites that are maintained by the county clerk’s/elections office can be made to be ADA Accessible websites. Please note: an entire county website will not be covered, only the elections part of the website or, if the county clerk maintains its own website separately from the county, the county clerk’s site is considered an allowable expense. Federal Assistance Listing: 90.404. Administered by the Illinois State Board of Elections via the Illinois GATA Catalog of State Financial Assistance (CSFA).
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
Demographic focus
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- Project narrative describing accessibility barriers and proposed solutions
- Vendor quotes for materials and/or services
- Evidence of accessibility needs (e.g., Polling Place Survey findings, accessibility audit results)
- Approval or support from local election authority leadership
Program contact
- 👤 Abby Beaty
- 📧 ABeaty@elections.il.gov
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 90.404 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$90,104,337
-
$60,176,832
-
$50,729,634
-
$49,137,797
-
$35,155,130
-
$34,511,113
-
$32,005,246
-
$28,401,536
-
$27,776,573
-
$27,656,123
Top States by Funding
- CA 1 awards $90.1M
- TX 1 awards $60.2M
- NY 1 awards $50.7M
- FL 1 awards $49.1M
- NC 2 awards $38.5M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
FAQ
Who can apply for this grant?
Local election authorities, municipalities, and other jurisdictions operating polling places in Illinois. Your organization must have control over or access to the polling place building.
What types of improvements are eligible?
Permanent improvements to public buildings, accessible signage, parking modifications, door hardware repairs, temporary ramps, matting for rough surfaces, and voting booth accessibility upgrades. Emergency repairs to inaccessible doors (alert systems) also qualify.
Is cost-sharing required?
No. This is a fully-funded grant with no matching funds required from applicants.
What is the application process?
Submit a narrative describing accessibility barriers and proposed solutions, along with vendor quotes for materials or work. Applications are evaluated based on need and alignment with statewide accessibility priorities.
What should I avoid?
Do not use funds for non-approved projects. Avoid concentrating all funds on a few expensive improvements if it leaves other polling places inaccessible.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Get vendor quotes upfront and include them with your narrative; reviewers need cost details to evaluate proposals.
- Conduct a thorough accessibility audit of your polling places before applying. Document specific barriers with photos.
- Prioritize improvements that affect the most voters. Balance permanent upgrades with quick-fix solutions across multiple sites.
- Consult your State's Attorney before proposing permanent structural improvements to ensure legal compliance.
- Focus on the full voter journey: parking, outdoor path, entrance, interior wayfinding, and voting booths.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applications fail when they request funding for non-eligible expenses or fail to connect proposed improvements to documented accessibility barriers. Vague or incomplete narratives without vendor quotes are unlikely to be competitive. Concentrating resources on one expensive project rather than addressing needs across multiple polling places reduces impact.
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