San Mateo County reaffirms support for voters with disabilities

“Throughout ongoing collaboration with disability advocacy organizations and community stakeholders, we remain steadfast in our commitment to continuous improvement and innovation,” Canepa said. “But let us be clear, our work is far from finished. As stewards of democracy, it is our duty to remain vigilant in protecting the rights of all voters.”

Valerie Karr, a professor at University of Massachusetts, Boston, with expertise in disability rights and inclusive development, said it’s our collective duty to ensure every voice is heard and every vote counts.

“If we don’t ensure the basic right of accessibility to polling places and voting, the voice of persons with disabilities will be silenced,” Karr said. 

Karr said San Mateo County has made admirable strides in addressing accessibility, including the establishment of the Voter Accessibility Advisory Committee in 2015.  

The resolution proposes a variety of strategies to further promote equal access, including personal delivery of paper ballots, free transportation to voting centers, and curbside voting. Karr said these efforts are extremely necessary to ensure the rights of all voting citizens. 

“These are not mere inconveniences, they are profound injustices that undermine the very fabric of our democracy,” Karr said. 

In other business, supervisors voted 5-0 to award a $1.6 million design contract to PBK Architects for a new fire house at 450-460 Butano Cutoff, next to Pescadero Middle and High School. It will replace current Fire Station 59, which is prone to flooding. The new station has been allocated about $20 million in sales tax money, will be designed for a 75-year service life and its proximity to the San Gregorio fault line will be considered.

A bonus of the approval also means fresh water can be delivered to the middle and high school, where students and staff currently rely on bottled water due to contaminated wells. The board approved a 99-year lease for the 1.75-acre site with the La Honda Pescadero Unified School District in 2023.

Construction could begin as early as mid-2025.