<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto">My apologies; my letter to Secretary Merrill did not attach, so I am pasting it below:<div><br></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Dear Secretary Merrill,<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">My name is Melissa Carney. I am a recent graduate of Mount Holyoke College, and live in the small town of Deep River, Connecticut. I currently serve as Secretary of the National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut, as well as President of the Connecticut Association of Blind Students.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">a couple weeks ago, you tweeted, “we can’t let fear of COVID-19 cost a single voter their voice. My plan, with combined efforts of our federal delegation and our partners at the state and local levels, allows every voter to cast their ballot safely and securely.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">My question for you is: what is your plan to implement privacy and independence into the absentee process to include people with disabilities?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">The threat posed by COVID-19 still looms ahead for persons with disabilities, many of whom are extremely vulnerable to complications of the virus. While certain quarantine restrictions may be lifted in the next few months, many disabled Connecticut residents will have to self-isolate for longer due to the high risk of exposure. In short, not only will persons with disabilities struggle to arrange transportation to the polls, as per usual, but many will be forced to avoid the polls altogether for safety reasons. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">As of this week, Governor Lamont has signed an executive order allowing all eligible Connecticut residents to vote absentee. However, the current vote by mail system is not accessible to those with visual impairments or other severe physical disabilities, as they have no way of seeing, holding, or marking a physical paper ballot independently. To ask for assistance in doing so does not only infringe on one’s privacy, but is also degrading, and simply impossible for those who live on their own. As such, disabled Connecticut residents are left with two inadequate options: risking their safety by utilizing public transportation to travel to the polls in order to use accessible voting machines, or trying to reconcile exclusion from the absentee process. Despite reaching out to multiple elections officials on a regular basis, I have not received a single response regarding a solution for the prominent issue at hand.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Many of our neighbors, such as Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Vermont, have implemented fully accessible and user-friendly digital absentee ballots, along with larger states such as California, Colorado, and West Virginia. Voting should be accessible to all Connecticut residents, regardless of ability. Every opinion matters. Access to at home voting privately and independently is a right that ALL deserve. Accessible voting should not end at the polling place. The ADA, section 508, and Title 2 all speak to government infrastructure, which voting is a significant component. I hope that Connecticut can uphold its progressive ideals and support safe, secure, and accessible voting for all.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">If you have any further questions or comments, I can be reached at <a href="tel:(860)%20391-9319" dir="ltr" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="telephone" x-apple-data-detectors-result="0" style="color: currentcolor;">(860) 391-9319</a> or <a href="mailto:carne23m@mtholyoke.edu" dir="ltr" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="link" x-apple-data-detectors-result="1" style="color: currentcolor;">carne23m@mtholyoke.edu</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Regards,<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Melissa Carney</p><div><br><div dir="ltr">Best,</div><div dir="ltr">Melissa</div><div dir="ltr"><br><blockquote type="cite">On May 27, 2020, at 3:38 PM, Melissa Carney via CT-NFB <ct-nfb@nfbnet.org> wrote:<br><br></blockquote></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr">
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
<div dir="auto">
<div dir="ltr">
<meta content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
Dear all,
<div><br>
</div>
<div>I echo President Melley's words. Please find attached my own letter that I sent last Friday to Denise Merrill, Ted Bromley, and Scott Bates. My letter speaks directly to the personal consequences we face as a result of the pandemic. I'm also attaching
a link to my published letter to the editor in The Day newspaper. A similar letter will be published later this week in the Hartford Courant. public awareness is key as well.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><a href="https://www.theday.com/article/20200526/OP02/200529775">https://www.theday.com/article/20200526/OP02/200529775 </a></div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>As a side note, I work closely with Democracy Live, and they have, as of this week, begun to meet with Connecticut's election officials and explain the basis of accessible, digital voting software.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Every letter counts, so keep writing, Thank you all for your advocacy.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr"></div>
</div>
<div dir="auto">
<div dir="ltr"></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
<div></div>
<div><font color="#007aff"><span style=""><br>
</span></font></div>
<div><font color="#007aff"><span style="">Best,</span></font></div>
<div><font color="#007aff"><span style="">Melissa</span></font>
<div dir="ltr">
<blockquote type="cite">On May 27, 2020, at 3:02 PM, Maryanne Melley via CT-NFB <ct-nfb@nfbnet.org> wrote:<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div dir="ltr">
<meta content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<style>
<!--
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math"}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri}
p.x_MsoNormal, li.x_MsoNormal, div.x_MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif}
span.x_EmailStyle17
{font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;
font-weight:bold}
.x_MsoChpDefault
{font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif}
@page WordSection1
{margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in}
div.x_WordSection1
{}
-->
</style>
<div class="x_WordSection1">
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Dear Federation Members,</span></b></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span></b></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Attached please find three letters that I have sent out to the above government members. I wrote the first one to the Secretary of state and then slightly modified the other two for their
specific titles. Once you have a base letter it is easy to modify it and send to other officials and your local and national representatives. I encourage everyone to mail letters regarding the absentee ballot issue. I for one do not want to have someone else
fill out my ballot for me. I want to be able to do that on my own and keep my decisions private like any other citizen in Connecticut. We are the National Federation of the Blind and our rights will not be trampled on!</span></b></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span></b></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Best Regards,</span></b></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span></b></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Maryanne Melley</span></b></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">President</span></b></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut</span></b></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">860-212-5549</span></b></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">mvcmelley@gmail.com</span></b></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span></b></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">“Live the Life You Want”</span></b></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"> </p>
</div>
<div><Secretary of State Letter.docx></div>
<div><Govenor Lemont Letter.docx></div>
<div><Attorney General Letter.docx></div>
<span>_______________________________________________</span><br>
<span>CT-NFB mailing list</span><br>
<span>CT-NFB@nfbnet.org</span><br>
<span>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ct-nfb_nfbnet.org</span><br>
<span>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for CT-NFB:</span><br>
<span>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ct-nfb_nfbnet.org/macarney97%40gmail.com</span><br>
</div>
</blockquote>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div><Accessible Absentee Voting.docx></div></div></blockquote></div></div></body></html>