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<p class="MsoNormal">I'm on it today. Good catch Curtis. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none">From:</span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none"> Colorado-Talk <colorado-talk-bounces@nfbnet.org>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Curtis Chong via Colorado-Talk<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, March 18, 2024 11:39 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> colorado-talk@nfbnet.org<br>
<b>Cc:</b> Curtis Chong <chong.curtis@gmail.com><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Colorado-Talk] Colorado Secretary of State Issues Notice of Proposed Rulemaking - Elections Rules<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Greetings everyone:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">If you are so inclined, please send an email to
<a href="mailto:SoS.Rulemaking@coloradosos.gov">SoS.Rulemaking@coloradosos.gov</a> using the subject line "Comments on Proposed Rulemaking - Elections Rules". Here, shown below, is what I just sent in today.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Thank you for your efforts in this matter.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Kindly,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Curtis Chong<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">________________________________________<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">From: Curtis Chong <<a href="mailto:chong.curtis@gmail.com">chong.curtis@gmail.com</a>>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Sent: Monday, March 18, 2024 11:17 AM<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">To:
<a href="mailto:SoS.Rulemaking@coloradosos.gov">SoS.Rulemaking@coloradosos.gov</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Subject: Comments on Proposed Rulemaking - Elections Rules<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Greetings:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">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."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Thank you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Very truly yours,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Curtis Chong<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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