[CT-NFB] [FWD: FW: GOVERNOR LAMONT SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER ALLOWING ALL ELIGIBLE CONNECTICUT RESIDENTS TO VOTE ABSENTEE IN AUGUST 11 PRIMARY ELECTIONS]

Fri May 22 13:54:46 UTC 2020

Hello,

My experience in recent elections has been that there is a new way to cast votes that is available at the polling location.  It involves using a telephone key pad with head phones to cast the vote selection and then prints the ballot.  So, for the folks  who are  visually  impaired or totally blind, the ability to still vote at the polling place is available now.  Of course, we can still make application for absentee ballot and vote accordingly with the AB.  Until the phone pad technology was available, I would always vote via the AB.  But I think we still have the choice to vote using either method.

good luck.

Bob Morrissey

From: CT-NFB [mailto:ct-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Esther via CT-NFB
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2020 11:49 PM
To: NFB of Connecticut Mailing List
Cc: Esther
Subject: Re: [CT-NFB] [FWD: FW: GOVERNOR LAMONT SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER ALLOWING ALL ELIGIBLE CONNECTICUT RESIDENTS TO VOTE ABSENTEE IN AUGUST 11 PRIMARY ELECTIONS]

Hi, Maryanne,

I remember a few years ago, I was going to be away for a local election and I had to have a friend come over to help me fill the absentee ballot out.  When we're in the voting booth or area, we vote ourselves so that no one else knows who we voted for.  I totally agree that absentee ballots, especially during these times, MUST, (and I mean MUST) be accessible to us blind folks.

EstherSent From Esther's Amazing and Awesome iPhone 7+

On May 21, 2020, at 12:09 PM, Maryanne Melley via CT-NFB <ct-nfb at nfbnet.org> wrote:

Dear Affiliate Members,

I have reached out to John Pare at national with this very disturbing announcement. Our civil rights are being violated by only having the voting option of absentee ballots that are not accessible to the blind. I will keep you up to date with what can be done.

Best Regards,

Maryanne Melley

President

National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut

860-212-5549

“Live the Life You Want”

From: CT-NFB <ct-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Lucia Lee via CT-NFB
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2020 9:45 AM
To: NFB of CT list serve <ct-nfb at nfbnet.org>; CTABS List serv <ctabs at nfbnet.org>
Cc: llee at nfbct.org
Subject: [CT-NFB] [FWD: FW: GOVERNOR LAMONT SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER ALLOWING ALL ELIGIBLE CONNECTICUT RESIDENTS TO VOTE ABSENTEE IN AUGUST 11 PRIMARY ELECTIONS]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: FW: GOVERNOR LAMONT SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER ALLOWING ALL ELIGIBLE
CONNECTICUT RESIDENTS TO VOTE ABSENTEE IN AUGUST 11 PRIMARY ELECTIONS
From: "Sigman, Brian" < <mailto:Brian.Sigman at ct.gov> Brian.Sigman at ct.gov>
Date: Thu, May 21, 2020 9:32 am

From: Sullivan, Kathleen <Kathleen.Sullivan at ct.gov> 
Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2020 6:47 PM
Subject: FW: GOVERNOR LAMONT SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER ALLOWING ALL ELIGIBLE CONNECTICUT RESIDENTS TO VOTE ABSENTEE IN AUGUST 11 PRIMARY ELECTIONS

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GOVERNOR LAMONT SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER ALLOWING ALL ELIGIBLE CONNECTICUT RESIDENTS TO VOTE ABSENTEE IN AUGUST 11 PRIMARY ELECTIONS

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, he has signed an executive order <https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/Office-of-the-Governor/Executive-Orders/Lamont-Executive-Orders/Executive-Order-No-7QQ.pdf?la=en>  allowing all registered voters in Connecticut to vote absentee in the August 11, 2020 primary elections.

Current state law authorizes the use of an absentee ballot for six reasons, including a voter’s active service in the Armed Forces; absence from town during all of the hours of voting; own illness; religious beliefs; duties as an election official; and physical disability. Governor Lamont said that as the highly contagious virus continues to spread and nearly 3,500 people in the state who have contracted the disease have died within the last two months, it is critical that state government make reasonable adjustments that reflect the current state of emergency while ensuring that the democratic process continues safely and securely.

“Nobody should need to make a decision between their health and their right to vote,” Governor Lamont said. “Our state has taken every responsible step to this point to ensure that our residents are safe, and the next step we must take is to mitigate the risk of the spread of COVID-19 when Connecticut residents cast their ballots. We must guarantee access to the ballot, and this is a way to do that during these extraordinary circumstances. I do not take this decision lightly, and it is with the public health and welfare of residents in mind.”

Secretary of the State Denise Merrill has announced <https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Press-Releases/2020-Press-Releases/Secretary-Merrill-Releases-Connecticuts-Election-Plan-in-the-Face-of-COVID19>  that she intends to mail every registered voter in the state an application they will need to fill out and return in order to obtain an absentee ballot. That application, which will be sent via U.S. Postal Service, will include a postage paid return envelope. After processing the applications at the local level, all voters who requested an absentee ballot will receive the ballots in the mail, which will also include a postage paid return envelope. Each town will also have a secure dropbox in a prominent location to allow voters to deliver their absentee ballots in person without close personal contact.

Connecticut’s 2020 presidential primary was initially scheduled to be held on April 28, but to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19, Governor Lamont signed executive orders rescheduling <https://portal.ct.gov/Office-of-the-Governor/News/Press-Releases/2020/04-2020/Governor-Lamont-Orders-Connecticuts-Presidential-Primary-Election-Further-Rescheduled-to-August-11>  it, first to June 2 and then to August 11, the same date that the state was already scheduled to hold primaries for other federal, state, and local offices. Moving the presidential primary to this date enables the primary for president to appear on the same ballot as those for other offices, and eliminates the need for the state to hold two separate primary elections.

**Download: Governor Lamont’s Executive Order No. 7QQ <https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/Office-of-the-Governor/Executive-Orders/Lamont-Executive-Orders/Executive-Order-No-7QQ.pdf?la=en> 

###

For Immediate Release: May 20, 2020
Contact: Connecticut Joint Information Center

COVID19.JIC at ct.gov

860-754-8342

www.ct.gov/governor
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