[Colorado-Talk] Colorado Secretary of State Issues Notice of Proposed Rulemaking - Elections Rules

[Curtis Chong]

Greetings everyone:

 

The Colorado Secretary of State has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking
pertaining to elections in Colorado. Ordinarily, this particular topic would
not garner a lot of attention from the blind community.

 

However, I wish to bring to your attention a provision in the proposed rules
which, if adopted, would eliminate the holes that are found on many ballot
return envelopes. For example, in Arapahoe County, where I vote, these holes
are useful as a nonvisual way to know where voters should place their
signatures. I was pleased to learn that work is under way in Arapahoe County
to come up with an alternative tactual method that would enable blind voters
to know where to affix their signatures.

 

While many of us are voting using Colorado's accessible online voting system
or in person at the polls, I am confident that there are blind people in
Colorado who still return their ballots by mail. It would be terrific if
Colorado could require all of the counties to put some kind of a tactual
indication on the ballot return envelopes that would help nonvisual voters
to know where they should sign.

 

If you are so inclined, please send an email to
SoS.Rulemaking at coloradosos.gov using the subject line "Comments on Proposed
Rulemaking - Elections Rules". Here, shown below, is what I just sent in
today.

 

Thank you for your efforts in this matter.

 

Kindly,

 

Curtis Chong

 

________________________________________

 

From: Curtis Chong <chong.curtis at gmail.com> 

Sent: Monday, March 18, 2024 11:17 AM

To: SoS.Rulemaking at coloradosos.gov

Subject: Comments on Proposed Rulemaking - Elections Rules

 

Greetings:

 

I wish to comment on Proposed Election Rule 7.2.71 (C) which provides that
"BEGINNING JULY 1, 2024, NO COUNTY CLERK MAY USE A BALLOT RETURN ENVELOPE
WITH A HOLE OR ANY OTHER OPENING."

 

I am a blind person who lives and votes in Arapahoe County. I have always
appreciated that in Arapahoe county, the holes on the back of the ballot
return envelope could be used by a blind voter as a tactual indication of
where to place his/her signature. Eliminating the holes on the back of the
ballot return envelopes used in Arapahoe county would make it impossible for
blind voters who want to return their ballots in the mail to independently
locate where they should write their signatures unless an alternative
tactual indication is provided . I do not know if other counties across
Colorado have a similar system, but I do know that there are blind voters in
Colorado who still prefer to return their printed ballots in the mail.
Eliminate the holes if you must, but please consider adding a provision
which would require counties to provide a tactual indication on the ballot
return envelopes where the registered voter must sign his/her name. This
would be a tremendous benefit to those voters who cannot see where to place
their signatures.

 

Thank you.

 

Very truly yours,

 

Curtis Chong

 

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