Public Record: Correspondence with Houston County Board of Elections Regarding Poll Worker Interaction

Information

Follow-Up Action (Friday, May 22, 2026)

  • Email Subject: Follow-Up: Regarding My Voting Experience On Thursday, May 14, 2026 (Sent May 15, 2026)
  • Sent: Friday, May 22, 2026, at 11:15 AM Eastern Time
  • Method: Via Email
  • Priority: Highest Importance

Message

Dear Houston County Board of Elections,

Last Friday, I sent an email regarding my voting experience on Thursday, May 14, 2026. I am writing today to follow up on the status of that matter.

I completely understand that you are very busy with the 2026 General Primary Election. If you have any questions, please let me know by replying to this email. You can also call me using the phone number located in my signature.

Thank you.

Respectfully,
Armando Vias
Community Advocate

Original Message (Friday, May 15, 2026)

Dear Houston County Board of Elections,

I’m a registered voter who participated in early voting for the upcoming 2026 General Primary Election. I’m writing to report an issue regarding my experience with the poll workers at the polling site on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at approximately 2:45–3:00 PM Eastern Time.

My companions and I visited the Houston Health Pavilion Conference Center, located at 233 North Houston Road in Warner Robins, Georgia. Upon arrival, we proceeded to the check-in table to verify my registration and sign in.

During this process, the poll workers clearly noticed that I use a white cane for navigation. However, instead of addressing me directly, they directed all their questions to one of my friends—asking them if I could sign my name, asking them to confirm my address, and so forth. While I understand that poll workers may not interact with blind or low-vision individuals regularly, it’s disrespectful to talk around us rather than to us. Unless a voter indicates otherwise, we can hear and communicate just like anyone else.

On a positive note, the actual voting process went smoothly, and I experienced no technical issues using the Adaptive Voting Machine. I had intended to gently remind the check-in workers about this communication barrier after casting my ballot, but the station had become too busy with other voters.

I would like to suggest implementing brief training for poll workers on how to respectfully interact with voters who are blind or have low vision. For reference, I have a guide on my personal website that details effective communication practices, which you can view here: https://armandovias.com/interacting-with-me. I believe this type of awareness training should also extend to interactions with voters who use wheelchairs, walkers, or other mobility aids.

Thank you for your time and for working to ensure our local elections remain accessible and welcoming to everyone. If you have any questions, please feel free to reply to this email or call me at the number listed in my signature below.

Respectfully,
Armando Vias
Community Advocate

Last Updated: Saturday, May 23rd, 2026 @ 6:50 am

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Disclaimer

The letter above that was sent to companies and/or government agencies and is also posted to armandovias.com has been written with the sole purpose of advocating for and promoting equal access and inclusion of people with disabilities. The goal of these letters is to raise awareness about accessibility barriers that I face when navigating websites or out in the community and to encourage companies/government agencies to meet or exceed accessibility standards, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Web-Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

These letters are posted on this website for documentation, educational, informational, and transparency purposes only, and these letters does not constitute legal advice.

These letters are intended as constructive feedback to assist companies/government agencies to identify and fix accessibility issue(s). They’re not designed to defame, disparage, or cause any harm to individual(s) or entities. My motivation of posting these letters is to foster a more inclusive environment for everyone.

While I strive to provide accurate and up-to-date information in these letters, the content(s) in each letter is based on my analysis and observations at the time of writing. I cannot guarantee the absolute accuracy/completeness of all information, and mistakes and omissions may occur.

The posting of these letters does not constitute a formal legal complaint, nor does it guarantee any specific legal action(s) or outcome. My objective is to encourage compliance and improvement(s) for providing equal access for all individuals.

My website (armandovias.com) and the views expressed in each letter are independent and do not represent any official legal or governmental authority. I encourage companies and/or government agencies to review my feedback carefully and to take proactive steps to ensure equal access for everyone. I believe that inclusion for all is a fundamental right for all companies and government agencies.

If you have any questions, or if you’d like to discuss the contents of a letter that’s posted on armandovias.com, contact me by replying directly to the email that the letter was sent from or call me by using the phone number that’s provided in the email.

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