Four Texas county governments

Four Texas counties were told their election websites weren't accessible. The DOJ stepped in.

In 2024, the DOJ found that four Texas county governments — Colorado, Runnels, Smith, and Upton — had election websites that blind voters couldn't use to find polling locations, ballot information, or candidate details. The agency reached separate settlements with each county requiring full website accessibility under Title II of the ADA.

This is important because it shows DOJ enforcement extends to government — not just business. Counties, cities, school districts, and state agencies are all subject to the same standards. If your business sells to or partners with the public sector, your software has to meet these rules too.

Court

DOJ settlement agreements — Eastern/Northern/Southern/Western Districts of Texas

Case

United States v. Colorado County, Runnels County, Smith County, and Upton County (Texas) — Election Website Accessibility

Multiple — see DOJ press release (archived June 2024)

Outcome

Settlement agreements requiring all four counties to make election websites accessible to people with disabilities under Title II of the ADA

What went wrong on the site

Each visual below shows what visitors with disabilities actually experienced.

Failure: Not screen-reader readable

</div>

No button role. Screen readers skip it entirely.

Custom controls had no ARIA roles, so screen readers could not announce what they were or what state they were in.

WCAG 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value

Failure: No keyboard access

Small

Medium

Large

Click only — Tab key does nothing

Core interactions required a mouse. Keyboard-only users could not navigate menus, complete checkout, or operate widgets.

WCAG 2.1.1 Keyboard

Sources & documentation

DOJ — Justice Department Secures Agreements with Texas Counties (June 2024)Primary

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