New Rule Prohibits Voters From Using Restroom

[Shama_okami]

Source

Quote:

New Rule Prohibits Voters In Miami-Dade County From Using The Restroom, No Matter How Long The Line

During the 2012 presidential election, voters reportedly waited on line for upwards of six hours. That wait alone is enough to deter would-be voters from going to the polls. But now residents in Florida’s most populous county will have another disincentive: they won’t be able to go to the bathroom.

Earlier this year, the Miami-Dade County Elections Department quietly implemented a policy to close the bathrooms at all polling facilities, according to disability rights lawyer Marc Dubin. Dubin said the policy change was in “direct response” to an inquiry to the Elections Department about whether they had assessed accessibility of polling place bathrooms to those with disabilities.

“I was expecting them to say either yes we have or yes we will,” Dubin said.

Instead, he received a written response announcing that the county would close all restrooms at polling places “to ensure that individuals with disabilities are not treated unfairly,” a January email stated. “[T]he Department’s policy is not to permit access to restrooms at polling sites on election days,” Assistant County Attorney Shanika Graves said in a Feb. 14 email. Elections Department officials did not immediately respond to ThinkProgress inquiries.

Dubin said he was “shocked” at this response, and not just because it suppresses the vote for everybody. The Americans with Disabilities Act also requires entities to make “reasonable accommodations” to those with disabilities. For those with a number of conditions, including diabetics and those taking diuretics, closing the restroom will make standing in that line impossible, and thus discriminate against disabled voters.

But those with disabilities are not the only ones who would suffer disproportionately from this policy. A Massachusetts Institute of Technology analysis found that blacks and Hispanics waited almost twice as long to vote as whites in the 2012 presidential election. Another analysis found that this “time tax” also impacted young voters. And this would be one of a number Florida voter suppression policies that have a particular impact on the elderly.

The state’s next-most populous counties, Broward and Palm Beach, told the Sun Sentinel they would not implement this policy.

[Nyadriel]

Um... excuse me. But some voters are - HULLOOOO! Women! What in the hell do you expect us to do if the polling day is a day we need to use the rest rooms? And not just because of bladder control issues.

[Eveille]

Delightful.

I was in those lines last year. And yea, they were that long. However, the politicians got a kick out of it because they set up free coke and burger stands for us. It was nice, I voted for whoever, but I sure took their food razz .

Yes, the line was awful for the elderly, it was unbearable really. They allowed the elderly to go sit at the beginning of the line in the shade and wait for their relatives to make the line for them. It was kind of insane.

People had lawn chairs and beach umbrellas. We got out after sunset. However this was only early voting. On actual election day there were no/few lines because more polling places open.

Also, there will be more polling places, open for llonger, this time around. The bathroom deal is still stupid, but it isn't like everything is getting completely worse, it is a piecemeal effort at best.

[Ame Yuki Kaze]

Denying the bathroom is a human rights violation. The voters must sue, sue, sue for the restoration of their rights!

[jellykans]

Yay, Broward and Palm Beach!

[Yuki_Windira]

So anyone who had to bring their kids along,pregnant,have bladder issues will be screwed....

Sheesh,I say pee on their floor then.o.o;

[Captain Dory]

Vote by mail.

[You make Mii ink]

Scarred Sword Heart

Denying the bathroom is a human rights violation. The voters must sue, sue, sue for the restoration of their rights!

oh, yeah. i know i would be. this is ridiculous.

[Divine_Malevolence]

Damn Republicans are desperate.

[Keltoi Samurai]

Interesting . . . So, is this something done by Republicans in the area and the people doing the reporting just decided to take the political high road and not try to make this a partisan issue, or is this a case where the Democrats got behind voter suppression and nobody wants to report that a Democrat dun goof'd?

Maybe this one had bipartisan support?

[David2074]

Nyadriel

Um... excuse me. But some voters are - HULLOOOO! Women! What in the hell do you expect us to do if the polling day is a day we need to use the rest rooms? And not just because of bladder control issues.

I assume you are referring to menstrual needs?
But really I don't get your distinction. It is equally unfair to men. I know women can get caught short but when you are talking a six hour line pretty much everyone is screwed.

Anyway, it's another "Lulz! Florida!" story.
Maybe they knew they could not get the restrooms all HC accessible and were worried about a big lawsuit so decided it was safer to just screw everyone.

That's one thing I love about living in WA state. Mail in ballots so I can vote on my own toilet if I want to. Or on a more practical note I can vote in front of my compute and look up information on candidates and issues as I vote.

I'm middle aged and able bodied and I still probably would not wait in a six hour line. I pity folks who are old, HC, have medical issues etc.
(and my mind just wandered to some movie I saw where it was medieval times and some guy was walking around with a piss pot for the upper class to piss in. I think it was Mel Brooks flick so maybe not historically accurate. But I'm still amusing myself by picturing piss pot guy working the voting line. lol )

[A mali]

Are they going to provide catheters and weebags? Adult Diapers?

[Hito the Exiled]

Divine_Malevolence

Damn Republicans are desperate.

You really had to say that?

[Nyadriel]

David2074

Nyadriel

Um... excuse me. But some voters are - HULLOOOO! Women! What in the hell do you expect us to do if the polling day is a day we need to use the rest rooms? And not just because of bladder control issues.

I assume you are referring to menstrual needs?
But really I don't get your distinction. It is equally unfair to men. I know women can get caught short but when you are talking a six hour line pretty much everyone is screwed.

Anyway, it's another "Lulz! Florida!" story.
Maybe they knew they could not get the restrooms all HC accessible and were worried about a big lawsuit so decided it was safer to just screw everyone.

That's one thing I love about living in WA state. Mail in ballots so I can vote on my own toilet if I want to. Or on a more practical note I can vote in front of my compute and look up information on candidates and issues as I vote.

I'm middle aged and able bodied and I still probably would not wait in a six hour line. I pity folks who are old, HC, have medical issues etc.
(and my mind just wandered to some movie I saw where it was medieval times and some guy was walking around with a piss pot for the upper class to piss in. I think it was Mel Brooks flick so maybe not historically accurate. But I'm still amusing myself by picturing piss pot guy working the voting line. lol )

Yes I was referring to that. It's a bit of a bigger issue if blood drips all the way down to the floor if you think about it. Not like it would be our fault, ya know.

But you are right because neither is this (from another poster)

Quote:

Sheesh,I say pee on their floor then.o.o;

Which could happen accidentally if a person with problems could not use the bathrooms...

Ya know, it might just be accurate what you said about the piss pot. HUH!

[Lidke]

Yep. It's tempting to do that just for the sake of protesting. After the first several accounts, I'm sure they'll get tired of all the deep steam cleaning.

Yuki_Windira

So anyone who had to bring their kids along,pregnant,have bladder issues will be screwed....

Sheesh,I say pee on their floor then.o.o;