[Ct-nfb] [Ct-NFB] Voting Accessibility Champion

Thu Jan 2 03:09:44 UTC 2014

Beth:

Thank you for the voting legislation information.

If anyone else here has a good relationship with their local legislators, please still let me know!

Justin

Sent from the iPhone of:

Justin M. Salisbury
Graduate Student
Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics
University of Wisconsin – Madison

On Jan 1, 2014, at 9:55 PM, "Elizabeth Rival" <erival at comcast.net<mailto:erival at comcast.net>> wrote:

Justin, unfortunately Mr. lynch has passed on. But see below for your info you are looking for. Beth
Dear Senator Fasano,

Thank you very much for meeting with some members of the National Federation of the Blind of CT in Mike Freda's office on Monday April 25th. We are grateful for your interest in our issues concerning voting privacy and for your initiation of an amendment to ensure that vote-by-phone systems are tested and up-and-running for elections. Our ultimate goal is to, one day, have one voting system accessible to all our citizens. In the meantime, if the vote-by-phone systems are tested and working on elections days, we feel that this is a significant step forward for blind people in our state. And, just possibly, some sighted peope will use it also!

Thanks again,
Sincerely,
Beth Rival, President
National Federation of the Blind of CT

Mike Freda's response

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Message from Mike Freda
From: Michael Freda <Freda.Michael at town.north-haven.ct.us<mailto:Freda.Michael at town.north-haven.ct.us>>
Date: Wed, April 27, 2011 5:01 pm
To: "llee at nfbct.org<mailto:llee at nfbct.org>" <llee at nfbct.org<mailto:llee at nfbct.org>>
Dear Beth,

It was my pleasure to be able to host the meeting with Senator Fasano. Our goal is to support the National Federation of the Blind in every way and I think that with Senator Fasano working with us we can make progress towards achieving the objectives that we spoke about. Mr. Fasano will be a driving factor for us in an effort to have the vote-by-phone system fully tested and up and running.

Once again, it was a pleasure to be with you, Charley, Nathaniel and Mr. and Mrs. Lynch here at town hall.

Sincerely,
Michael J. Freda
First Selectman

Town of North Haven
Tel: 203-239-5321 ext. 760

freda.michael at town.north-haven.ct.us<mailto:freda.michael at town.north-haven.ct.us>
Senator  Fasano's office responserepublican?

acResolution 2010-01

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind has fought for the right of blind people to vote independently and privately for years; and

WHEREAS, the state of Connecticut has provided for its blind residents to do this by means of a telephone/fax system that completes the voter's paper ballot entirely using the voter's input on the touch-tone telephone (vote-by-phone); and

WHEREAS, blind voters have consistently experienced second-class treatment in the use of this system such as not having the "vote-by phone" equipment operational when they arrive at their polling place thereby forcing them to wait up to 4 hours to vote; and

WHEREAS, in the 2010 general election at least two municipalities ran out of the standard paper ballots which registrars, the secretary of state, other political leaders and at least one judge characterized as "running out of ballots" even though the vote-by-phone system was an alternative, thus further treating the vote-by-phone process at best as second-class and at worst as invalid; and

WHEREAS, the current use of standard paper ballots costs hundreds of thousands of dollars per election simply in printing expenses which can never be recovered if any of these standard ballots are not used; and

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind advocates for the blind with special attention to providing solutions that will also benefit a large majority of the public: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut in Convention assembled this seventh day of November, 2010 in the town of North Haven, Connecticut to call upon the Secretary of State, municipal registrars, and other political leaders to end the second-class treatment of voters who are blind;  and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call upon these officials to make one primary and preferred voting system accessible both to the majority of the public and to the blind; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that any additional system that the blind cannot use be considered secondary or an accommodation.

From: Ct-nfb [mailto:ct-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Justin Salisbury
Sent: Wednesday, January 01, 2014 9:25 PM
To: 'ct-nfb at nfbnet.org<mailto:ct-nfb at nfbnet.org>'
Subject: [Ct-nfb] Voting Accessibility Champion

Fellow Federationists:

Here’s an opportunity for you to play an important role in our legislative affairs.

We need to figure out who our best friends are in the state senate and house of representatives.

A few years ago, perhaps 2010, a bill was passed in the Connecticut General Assembly that required voting stations to make sure that the accessible voting equipment actually worked (instead of previously just having it).  I know that some of our members had a good relationship with the legislator that shepherded this legislation.

Who was he?

Even if you have no idea what I’m talking about, if you have a good relationship with your local legislators, please let me know who they are (and, of course, who you are).

Forward march!

Justin Salisbury
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