The Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee convened on July 1, 2025, to discuss Assembly Bill 287, which aims to enhance accessibility at polling places for individuals with disabilities. The bill mandates that vote centers provide accessible parking and curbside voting options, addressing significant shortcomings identified in a U.S. Department of Justice survey of Los Angeles County polling places from 2016 to 2022. The survey revealed that many voting locations lacked adequate accessible parking and faced challenges with curbside voting.

Aaron Navarres, assistant registrar recorder county clerk for Los Angeles County, presented the bill, emphasizing its importance for ensuring that all Californians can participate in the electoral process. He highlighted that one in four vote centers in LA County currently does not have accessible parking, which poses a barrier for voters with disabilities. The bill seeks to clarify the obligations of public facilities to provide necessary space for voting equipment and accessible parking.

Paul Spencer, a senior attorney for Disability Rights California, also voiced strong support for the bill, noting that accessible parking is crucial for individuals with disabilities to vote in person. He explained that the bill would facilitate smoother election planning and expand access for voters with disabilities, making it a common-sense solution to existing challenges.

Several organizations, including the Asian Law Caucus and the California Association of Clerks and Elections Officials, expressed their support for the bill. However, representatives from the Los Angeles Unified School District raised concerns about the feasibility of implementing the bill's requirements, citing issues with parking availability at many school sites.

Committee members engaged in discussions regarding the bill's implications and the challenges faced by schools in providing adequate parking. Some members questioned whether the bill would effectively address the existing problems and whether it would require schools to comply with requests for accessible parking.

Despite the concerns raised, the committee acknowledged the necessity of the bill in ensuring that individuals with disabilities have equal access to voting. The discussions concluded with a commitment to further evaluate the bill and its potential impact on the electoral process in California. The committee's next steps will involve addressing the concerns raised by school representatives while ensuring that the rights of voters with disabilities are upheld.