[Ct-nfb] [FWD: Updated information regarding new accessible voting system option in Connecticut]

stanley torow setorow at optonline.net
Sat Oct 8 14:47:54 UTC 2016


Nathaniel,
my vote by phone ballot was placed in the same slot as everyone else.
am i wrong in that they pulled mine out?did my vote not count?
Eileen Torow
 


On Thu, Oct 06, 2016 at 11:07 PM, Nathanael T. Wales via CT-NFB wrote:

Rich – I too feel your frustration about these new voting machines.  
With all of the time and investment that the state made in investigating 
and purchasing them, the general announcement from the director of BESB 
sent to our outreach office—thank you, Lucia, for forwarding this out 
immediately to our fellow members—is the first that I and at least a few 
key leaders in the NFB of Connecticut have heard of these new machines.  
No one in state government, be it the Secretary of State, BESB, DORS, 
the governor’s guy who came to one of our affiliate board meetings a few 
months before his boss was up for reelection (and I don’t intend that to 
be partisan; many reading this are welcome to have drinks at our state 
convention and I’ll share my evolving partisan views with you in the 
bar), reached out to us.  Can anyone on this listserve say they’ve yet 
tested these new machines?  And it’s been announced so late that no one 
could have come to our September board meeting, which I’m sure we would 
have found time in or extended so we could look at these early instead 
of the weekend before the election (and I think it’s a nonpartisan view 
that it’ll be a very big one at that).  I know that Jim McCollum, the 
convention chair and legislative chair, has been trying to get someone 
to come to our state convention to talk about these new machines, let 
our members use them hands-on probably for the first time, and answer 
questions about how they’ve reached out to the elections officials in 
every town (it’s been at best very hit or miss for the past 8 years in 
many towns); as of this evening I don’t know that he’s gotten a 
response; I mean, I’m sure that the Secretary of State and all of her 
staff have nothing better to do the weekend before this election than 
reach out to historically disenfranchised and disilluisioned voters who 
they’ve again disenfranchised.  Maybe they can stop by on their way back 
from checking in on the number of ballots printed in Bridgeport for the 
following Tuesday…All that said, I think there is still an opportunity 
to let the state start to do the right thing and we should give them a 
chance, though their time is running out and it’s not just you that’s 
extremely skeptical.
 
Jim – Thank you for working so hard to get someone from the Secretary of 
State to come to our convention; it’s a critical item.  And it’s good 
outreach to blind people locally who may just come to the convention to 
check out the machines in person, voice their opinions to state 
officials, etc.  I’d certainly be interested to learn on this listserve 
what responses you get, and I’d urge you to keep state officials’ feet 
to the fire on this issue.  Let us know how we can help.  You are 
correct, of course: “If this works as intended, it will not take any 
rights away from anyone.”  The key caveat is if it works as intended; 
with what I’ve seen so far, like with the ability to practice now with 
the machine over the phone, I’m very skeptical that it will, and I’d be 
pleased to be proved wrong.  Please keep up your excellent work!
 
I will say, though, that if these machines do work as intended there is 
one item of privacy that I do like.  With the old vote-by-phone ballots 
they were placed in a different slot in the ballot box and tabulated 
separately; if you were the only voter in the precinct who used the 
vote-by-phone your ballot would be the only one of its kind therefore 
the elections officials would know who you voted for.  With these new 
machines the ballots they produce are tabulated just the same as the 
hand-marked ballots that 99.99% of voters will probably use and your 
ballot will just be mixed in with them and not really stand out.
 
Best to everyone,
Nathanael T. Wales
 
 

From: Ct-nfb [mailto:ct-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jim 
McCollum via Ct-nfb
Sent: Thursday, October 06, 2016 7:33 AM
To: Richard McGaffin; NFB of Connecticut Mailing List
Cc: Jim McCollum; CTABS List serv
Subject: Re: [Ct-nfb] [FWD: Updated information regarding new accessible 
voting system option in Connecticut]

 
Hello, Rich and all. 

The touch screen is not the only option. You have a choice between a 
touch screen and a keypad. Also, voters will be provided with 
headphones. If this works as intended, it will not take any rights away 
from anyone. 

Have a nice day. 


Jim McCollum
Legislative Co-ordinator

National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut

j.mccollum64 at comcast.net <mailto:j.mccollum64 at comcast.net>

860-581-0430

Sent from my iPhone


On Oct 6, 2016, at 7:13 AM, Richard McGaffin via Ct-nfb 
<ct-nfb at nfbnet.org <mailto:ct-nfb at nfbnet.org> > wrote:


Good morning all,

 

This tablet thing is a  joke. I use an amazon fire tablet with voice 
accessibility which freezes constantly by switching to a tablet, I 
believe they've taken the vote from the blind, so I want to thank those 
who've taken this away from me and all other blind voters. I also hope 
you realize that by using voice activation you're taking away our 
privacy unless the polling places will also be providing head phones. 
This is the stupidest idea I've heard of in quite some time.

 

I now know I'll be staying home and not voting this year.

 

Rich

 


On Wednesday, October 5, 2016 1:40 PM, Lucia Lee via Ct-nfb 
<ct-nfb at nfbnet.org <mailto:ct-nfb at nfbnet.org> > wrote:
 


 

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Updated information regarding new accessible voting system
option in Connecticut
From: "Sigman, Brian" <Brian.Sigman at ct.gov <mailto:Brian.Sigman at ct.gov> 
>


Good afternoon,

Last week I forwarded a communication regarding the new accessible 
voting system option in Connecticut that will be in place for the 
November election. Subsequent to forwarding that information it was 
discovered that the access code provided for testing the new system was 
not functioning. Below is an updated message from Elanah Sherman at the 
Office of Protection and Advocacy. When a corrected access phone number 
and testing code become available, I will pass that along as well. We 
are sorry for any confusion that the prior notification has caused. 
Please pass along this new information to anyone whom you may have 
forwarded the prior message to. Thank you.

 

May I use the voting system of my choice?

Yes. Connecticut offers two methods of voting at the polling place. One 
way is via the manual ballot; the other method, new in 2016, is via a 
tablet with optional voice output and keypad.  Anyone, with or without a 
disability, may vote by either method – it’s up to you!

How does the manual ballot system work?

Each voter is given a paper ballot with the names of candidates (and, 
sometimes, referendum questions), along with a marker for filling in the 
circles next to your choices. Once you complete the ballot, you deposit 
it into the optical scan tabulator, which counts the votes.

How do I use the tablet ballot marking system?

The tablet system is a ballot-marking device that replaces the old 
phone/fax technology. The new technology includes a tablet and a keypad 
with head phones. You may vote using the touch screen on the tablet, or 
by using the connected audio system on the keypad. The audio system, 
which includes head phones, works by a series of cues requiring you to 
push different buttons on the keypad to make your choices. (The audio 
process is very similar to that provided on the old system.) Both the 
touch screen and the audio provide you with the opportunity to review 
and revise your choices. After you are done voting (by either touch 
screen or keypad), a printer produces a paper ballot that reflects your 
choices. The voter then feeds the ballot through the same tabulator that 
counts the ballots that were manually completed.

The audio component may be preferable for people with visual 
disabilities; people who prefer audio cues, including individuals who 
have difficulty reading; and people with learning disabilities.

What are the main differences between the new system and the old system?

·       The new system is tablet-based, rather than based on a phone 
line.

·       The new system offers two options, touch screen and audio, 
rather than just audio.

·       The new audio component uses head phones (with disposable 
sanitized covers) rather than a receiver.

·       The new system includes a key pad with standard-sized keys, 
rather than the over-size keys that were on the old phone.

Is there a way to practice using the audio technology from home before 
Election Day?

The audio component will be available for practice on the manufacturer’s 
demonstration phone number soon. As soon as P&A receives the correct 
number, we will distribute it widely.

May I vote from home using the tablet system?

No. The tablet system will only be available at your polling place.

 

 



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