[CT-NFB] Accessible Absentee Voting

[Elizabeth Rival]

Hi all, wonderful news. Kim is well and you can reach her at 860 310 8993
new number, call her ask her what happened. Pam Allen was able to help us
connect. Love and caring, Beth 

 

From: CT-NFB [mailto:ct-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Scott C.
LaBarre via CT-NFB
Sent: Thursday, October 08, 2020 5:23 PM
To: ct-nfb at nfbnet.org
Cc: Scott C. LaBarre <slabarre at labarrelaw.com>
Subject: [CT-NFB] Accessible Absentee Voting

 

Greetings Connecticut!

 

This is Scott LaBarre, your friendly NFB Legal Counsel.  I have subscribed
to your list serve for the purpose of giving you some information about how
you can vote absentee, privately, independently, and accessibly.

 

First of all, I want to thank all of you who have been advocating with the
Secretary of State and others to accomplish the goal of accessible, absentee
voting!!  We couldn't have done it without you.  Your State's solution to
accessible voting for this election is not perfect or ideal, but it can
work.  After the November 3rd Election, we will work with you to get a
system adopted in CT that will be more effective.  

 

Well, in any event, here is what you need to know.  I apologize if some of
this is old news.  The Secretary of State agrees with us that they have a
legal obligation to provide accessible, absentee voting to blind and other
voters with print disabilities.  The route that they have chosen is to
provide accessible, fillable PDF's which you can mark, print out, and return
via mail or by dropping off at an official location.

 

The first step is for you to fill out the request for absentee ballot
application.  Finally, they have an accessible, fillable version of this on
their website.  Here is the link:

 

https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Election-Services/Absentee-Ballot-Application/Abs
entee-Ballot-Application-English-and-Spanish

 

>From that page, you can find links to both an English and Spanish version of
the application.  You should download that application and then open it up
by using Adobe Acrobat Reader.  If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader on
your device, you should download and install it by using this link:

 

https://get.adobe.com/reader/

 

For convenience, I have attached the English version of the application to
this email.  See attached.

 

Once you have either downloaded the application or use the attached, open
the document with Adobe Acrobat Reader and then fill it out by filling in
the various fields.  In JAWS, you accomplish this by hitting enter on the
first field which happens to be the name filed.  Then, you can tab over to
the next field and fill it out.  Be sure to check the box stating that you
are requesting absentee voting because of COVID-19 and also checking the yes
box stating that you want the ballot emailed to you.  Earlier in the
application, there is a box where you can fill in your desired email
address.  

 

Then you need to get this application to your town clerk by either mailing
it via USPS or emailing it.  To place it in the mail, print out your filled
out application and then put it in an envelope addressed to your clerk.  To
email it to the clerk, save the document after you have filled it out and
attached the saved document to your email.  I have attached a document which
has the contact info for all of the town clerks.

 

 

At the moment, we are still working with the SOS to make sure the ballots
will in fact be accessible.  They should be ready to be emailed early next
week.  The email will come directly from the SOS's Office.  

 

If you have already sent in an application to your town clerk to vote
absentee and didn't indicate that you wanted the ballot emailed to you, you
can send in another application making that request or by simply tell your
clerk directly that you want the ballot emailed.  I would email that request
and follow up on it if you don't hear within a day.

 

Now, if you have already received a print ballot and had someone help you
fill out and you have also returned that ballot, then you cannot use this
whole system.  Your town clerk will accept the first ballot they receive
from you and only that.

 

However, even if you have received a print ballot and have not returned it,
you can still use this system by making the request as described above and
doing the following:

 

Once you have received your email ballot, open it using Adobe Acrobat
Reader, mark it using your technology, and then print it.  Place the printed
ballot in the envelopes you have received from your town clerk.  Then either
mail the envelope or drop it off.  Make sure to only send back the ballot
you have printed.  Do not send back the print ballot the town clerk has sent
you.

 

Now, if you have not yet requested an absentee ballot and the town clerk
receives the filled out application indicating that you want an email
ballot, they should send you only the two envelopes you need to use to
return the ballot.  You would then go ahead and use the emailed ballot and
follow the procedures outlined above.  

 

Ok Connecticut, I know I have given you a lot of information.  So feel free
to email me at slabarre at labarrelaw.ccom <mailto:slabarre at labarrelaw.ccom>
with questions.  As soon as I hear that the SOS is ready to email ballots, I
will get on this list and let you know.  Be sure to send in your
applications requesting the email ballots.  Thus far, the SOS told us that
only five folks have requested the email ballots.  

 

Thanks and have a great day!!

 

Let's do our duty and vote!

 

Best,

Scott

 

  

 

 

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