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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Greetings to my fellow Coloradans:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>You may know that the official ballots for the November 2 coordinated election have been mailed out to registered voters in Colorado. For those of us who are blind or unable to mark the printed mail ballot without assistance, this means that Colorado’s accessible electronic ballot delivery, marking, and return system is now open and available for us to use. As we have done in previous elections, we can obtain and mark our ballots at home using the access technology with which we are familiar. Moreover, because of our work and the incredible support from Senator Jessie Danielson, we can also return our ballots electronically. We no longer have to find a printer to cast our votes independently and privately.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2>Critical First Step<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>For anyone who wants to use the new electronic ballot return option when voting, there is a critical first step which must be completed. You need to take a picture of your Colorado State ID and place it somewhere on your computer or smartphone where you can easily locate it. If, however, you prefer to use the system simply to mark your ballot and if you have ready access to a printer, then you do not need to create a picture of your Colorado State ID.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2>Accessible Voting Procedure<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.5in'>1. Point your browser to <a href="https://myballot.sos.colorado.gov/app/home">https://myballot.sos.colorado.gov/app/home</a>. You will be taken to the accessible ballot home page. Find the Vote My Ballot heading and activate the CONTINUE button. This will take you to the Voter Lookup page.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.5in'>2. On this Voter Lookup page, you will need to provide your first and last name, your date of birth, and your county. Once this information has been entered, activate the CONTINUE button. This will take you to the Ballot Type page.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.5in'>3. On the Ballot Type page, you will find three radio buttons:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-.5in'>• I am requesting an emergency ballot,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-.5in'>• I am a voter with a disability and am requesting an accessible ballot, and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-.5in'>• These do not apply.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'>Activate the first radio button and then activate the CONTINUE button to go to the “Please confirm you are eligible to access this system” page.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.5in'>4. This page contains a checkbox which you should check to confirm that you are eligible to use this system. Check the box and then activate the CONTINUE button.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.5in'>5. This next page asks a question which seeks to determine if you are a voter who is blind, has a print disability, or is otherwise unable, through physical disability, to hold, mark, or manipulate a ballot or to focus or move the eyes to the extent that would be normally acceptable for reading or marking a ballot. As a person who is blind, you would want to activate the Yes radio button. After doing this, activate the CONTINUE button.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.5in'>6. On this last voter verification page, you are asked to enter either your driver’s license number (for the blind, our Colorado State ID number) or the last four digits of your Social Security number. You do not need to enter both pieces of information. Now, activate the CONTINUE button. You will now be presented with your ballot on a single page.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.5in'>7. On the ballot page, each candidate or position is indicated by a checkbox. Use the space key to select the candidates or positions for which you want to vote. Each contest, proposition, proposed constitutional amendment, or ballot measure is marked by a level 3 heading. Use the appropriate screen reader command to move quickly between the contests. Once you have completed marking the ballot, activate the CONTINUE button to go to the Selection Review page.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.5in'>8. On the Selection Review page, you have the opportunity to check your ballot for one last time before moving on to the next phase. There is a Change button for each contest which, when activated, takes you back to the ballot page. Once you are satisfied that the ballot is as you want it, activate the CONTINUE button at the bottom of the page. You will be taken to the Save or Print Your Ballot page.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.5in'>9. On this page, you should activate the SAVE OR PRINT YOUR BALLOT button. If you are activating this button from a Windows computer and if you want to save your ballot instead of printing it, you should ensure that the printer selected is the one which is labeled Save as PDF.<br><br>If you are using an iPhone or iPad) there is, unfortunately, one small point of confusion. After you activate the SAVE OR PRINT YOUR BALLOT button, you will encounter a Print button but not one which specifically says Download. You need to activate a Print button for a second time, at which point you will be presented with a list of choices. If you are taking advantage of electronic ballot return where your ballot will be uploaded, activate the Save to Files button and select the iCloud Drive Downloads folder.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.5in'>10. After your ballot is saved or printed, you will be taken back to the Save or Print Your Ballot page. Activate the CONTINUE button to be taken to the Download or Print Return Package page.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.5in'>11. On this page, activate the DOWNLOAD OR PRINT ADDITIONAL MATERIALS button. Windows users will be prompted with a dialog to save a PDF document. By default this file will be placed in your default Downloads folder. You will be able to give it whatever name works for you. For iPhone/iPad users, however, while you will be prompted to download the package, you will not be able to give it another name.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.5in'>12. After the package has been printed or downloaded, activate the CONTINUE button to go to the next step.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.5in'>13. If you printed your ballot and ballot application documents instead of downloading them, you are finished. However, if you downloaded these files to submit them electronically, you should pay attention to these instructions.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'>“Thank you for voting, but you're not done!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'>Please follow the instructions provided in the previous pages and in your additional ballot materials to return your ballot and materials to your local elections office. If you are returning your ballot and materials electronically, please return them at Colorado's secure ballot return website by clicking the "return my ballot" link below.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'>For your information, the “return my ballot” link points to <a href="https://ballotreturn.coloradosos.gov/form/accessible">https://ballotreturn.coloradosos.gov/form/accessible</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2>Uploading Your Ballot and Ballot Application<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>After you have saved your ballot, your ballot application document, and a picture of your Colorado State ID, you should direct your browser to the website <a href="https://ballotreturn.coloradosos.gov/form/accessible">https://ballotreturn.coloradosos.gov/form/accessible</a>. You will be taken to the State of Colorado Secure Ballot Return page. You do not have to perform this part of the voting process immediately after you have finished marking your ballot. You already have your documents downloaded to your system. You can treat this part of the process as something that you can take up on another day.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>On the State of Colorado Secure Ballot Return page, non-mouse users should activate the browse to attach files link to start uploading the first file. As each file is uploaded successfully, a list will appear showing the file name and file size. The system allows a maximum of 20 files to be uploaded. Each file should not exceed 5 megabytes in size.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Once all files have been uploaded, fill in your name, phone number, and email address, and activate the Submit button.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2>Conclusion<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>If all of this sounds exceedingly complicated or, at the very least, tedious, I am afraid that there are definitely a lot of steps to perform here. Such is the way with technology.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Voters with disabilities who use this system are urged to contact their respective county clerks. If history is any guide, you will probably be referred to the office of Colorado’s Secretary of State. If you like, feel free to call me at 515-306-1654 or drop me an email at <a href="mailto:chong.curtis@gmail.com">chong.curtis@gmail.com</a>. I will try to be of help if I can.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>