Council hears registrar report on ADA shortfalls at Armory and possible relocation to Vogel Wetmore School

The Torrington City Council heard a report Tuesday from the registrars of voters that the Torrington Armory does not meet federal Americans with Disabilities Act standards for a polling place and that the registrars are recommending relocating one polling place to Vogel Wetmore School.

Registrar of Voters Fred Jury told the council he spent nearly 14 hours at the armory during the last election after a tabulator malfunction, and described a pattern of safety problems: “There’s no curb cuts for a wheelchair to come across the street and get up onto the sidewalk,” and “the angle of the ramps is too steep.” He said one member of the setup crew tripped on taped floor cover and needed medical care, and he cited an incident in which a voter fell from a wheelchair on the ramp.

The memo read into the record by Registrar’s clerk Melissa Russell said a federal ADA polling-place checklist found the armory’s middle and upper ramps out of compliance and that the site lacks ADA-compliant parking spaces. The memo recommended moving the polling place to Vogel Wetmore School because the school’s gym is ADA compliant, it has marked crosswalks and pedestrian signals nearby, ample parking with appropriate handicap spaces, and a generator to power tabulators during outages.

The council debated procedure and timing but did not approve a final relocation. The council voted, 3–2, on a motion to add an item (described in the meeting as “Schedule B”) to the agenda to receive a report from the registrars and to consider authorizing relocation; after that vote the mayor questioned whether a two-thirds vote was required to add the item and said he could not cast a tie-breaking vote on the question. The registrars and council members nonetheless discussed the findings as a department-head report; no formal council vote to change any polling place was taken.

Council members pressed for more factual detail before any relocation vote. The mayor directed staff to return with a written package that includes an ADA inspection/report, precise measurements showing how the ramps fall short of ADA slope requirements, guidance from the Connecticut Secretary of the State’s office on changing polling locations, and any legal advice about liability or consequences of holding an election at a site that is not fully ADA accessible. Council members also requested outreach plans describing how voters would be notified if a location change were approved.

Several council members urged caution about a late change before an election. One council member said moving a polling place “right prior to an election . . . will cause further chaos without a documented plan,” and other members asked that the registrars present a full, data-driven plan at a special meeting so the council can vote after having all facts and public comment.

The registrars said there is not yet agreement between the two registrars of voters on relocation; state statute was cited by a speaker during the meeting that, if registrars cannot agree, the legislative body (the city council) makes the final decision on polling place changes. The council agreed to schedule a separate meeting to receive fuller testimony and evidence and to allow public comment before any formal vote.

The council directed staff to provide the requested information and to poll members for availability for a special meeting that would include registrars of voters and legal counsel. No relocation took effect and no effective date was set.