[blindlaw] Voter Registration forms not accessible to the blind.

Tue Apr 10 14:18:29 UTC 2012

In Kansas we are presently working with the League of Kansas Voters, the 
ACLU, the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, and our local 
county voting commissioner to push for an ammendment of our current 
legislation.  We have a State Senator, and a State Representative whom we 
are providing with similar legislation out of New York and Wisconsin to use 
as a template.  Already we have been contacted by the office of our local 
voting commisioner to anticipate having voter registration and advanced 
voting ballots in Braille.

Anyone that would like to learn more or wishes to be kept informed please 
let us know.

Randolph Cabral, President

Kansas Braille Transcription Institute

P.O. Box 48091

Wichita, Kansas 67201-8091

316-265-9692  (Office)  9:00 AM - 5:00CST

316-265-0184  (Fax)

randolphc at kbti.org

www.kbti.org

"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." -- Helen Keller

----------------------------------------

From: "Blake, Lou Ann" <LBlake at nfb.org>

Sent: Monday, April 09, 2012 7:58 AM

To: "Blind Law Mailing List" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>

Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Voter Registration forms not accessible to the 
blind.

The National Mail Voter Registration Form is an accessible PDF that may be 
completed online, printed, and mailed to your state or local board of 
elections. The form may be used for all stated and territories and it 
includes instructions on how to complete the form and where to send it. The 
form may be found on the United States Election Assistance Commissions Web 
site at: http://www.eac.gov/voter_resources/register_to_vote.aspx. It is 
available in Spanish and English.

Many states do have their voter registration form available as an 
accessible PDF on their state board of election's Web site. But if your 
state is not one of these, you can use the National Mail Voter Registration 
Form.

The National Voter Registration Act allows states to register voters when 
they apply for a state-issued identification card, as well as a state-issue 
driver's license.

Lou Ann Blake, J.D.

HAVA Project Manager and Law Symposium Coordinator

Jernigan Institute

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND

200 East Wells Street

at Jernigan Place

Baltimore, MD 21230

Telephone: (410) 659-9314, ext. 2221

Fax: (410) 659-5129

E-mail: lblake at nfb.org

Web site: www.nfb.org

Text the word BLIND to 85944 to donate $10 to the NFB Imagination Fund via 
your phone bill.

-----Original Message-----

From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
Behalf Of James Pepper

Sent: Saturday, April 07, 2012 7:59 PM

To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org

Subject: [blindlaw] Voter Registration forms not accessible to the blind.

The State of Washington's election officer who is in charge of all voting 
for the state responded to an inquiry on the accessibility of the Voter 
Registration form with the following statement in writing:

"Remember, too, that federal law requires that voters be able to vote 
independently; the capability to complete registration applications 
independently is a desirable goal, but not a legal requirement at this 
time."

I thought they were required to make voter registration forms accessible to 
the blind, in every major civil rights bill since the Voting Rights Act.

Also the Election officer at the State of Arkansas said over the phone that 
the blind can register to vote when they get their drivers licenses.

James Pepper

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