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

Rich McGaffin rmcgaffin at snet.net
Sun Oct 16 17:06:12 UTC 2016


Good afternoon all,

Unfortunately the town of West Haven, has little regard for me or any blind person, but I will attempt to work wifth them.

On October 16, 2016, at 12:15 PM, stanley torow via CT-NFB <ct-nfb at nfbnet.org> wrote:

Nathaniel,
my moderfator has been working on this new system, because he knows i will use it, so he is getting ready to learn more to help me, if i need it.
you were right in telling me that on the old system, my ballot was counted by hand. even though i put it in the same slot as everyone else.
Eileen




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

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> 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> wrote:

 

 

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Updated information regarding new accessible voting system
option in Connecticut
From: "Sigman, Brian" <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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