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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><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2>Using Colorado’s<br>Accessible Ballot<br>Delivery and Return System<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>By Curtis Chong<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Starting October 17, 2022, ballots for the November 8 general election will be mailed out to registered voters in Colorado. For people with disabilities, those who are blind, and individuals who are unable to mark the printed mail ballot without assistance, this means that on that date, Colorado’s accessible electronic ballot delivery, marking, and return system will be open and available to be used. In Colorado, people with disabilities can obtain and mark their ballots at home using the access technology with which they are most familiar. People with print disabilities can also return their ballots electronically.<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</a>. You will be taken to the accessible ballot home page. Find the Vote My Ballot heading and activate the CONTINUE button which is immediately adjacent to it. 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 the county where you are registered to vote. 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 two 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 a voter with a disability and am requesting an accessible ballot<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-.5in'>• This does 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 be taken 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 activate to affirm that you are a voter with a disability as defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act. 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 determines 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. If you are blind and want to return your ballot electronically, activate the Yes radio button. If you want to return your ballot in the mail and you have a printer, you can respond “No” to this question. After activating the appropriate Radio Button, 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 (or your Colorado State ID number) or the last four digits of your Social Security number. You do not need to enter both pieces of information. After entering your identification information, activate the CONTINUE button.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.5in'><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 check the boxes corresponding to the candidates or positions for which you want to vote. 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 tap three times quickly on the Print button (if running VoiceOver) or tap-and-hold the Print button so that you can save the PDF file somewhere on your iPhone. If you are taking advantage of electronic ballot return where your ballot will be uploaded, activate the Save to Files button and select the location where you would like to store the document.<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 are going to print 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 the following 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 as 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, screen reader users are, unfortunately, placed on an edit field where you are asked to enter your first name. Entering your identification information is, however, one of the last steps you would perform in this procedure—not the first. Move your focus to the top of the page and read the information you find there. 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. Since you aren’t printing anything, you will need to upload three files:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• your voted ballot,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• your ballot application, and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• a picture of your state identification card.<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>