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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>All,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>For the governor’s office, you can go to this website and fill out the form:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>https://portal.ct.gov/Office-of-the-Governor/Contact/Email-Governor-Lamont<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>The comment field only allows 1,000 characters. Here is what I wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>--<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Your order to let citizens vote by absentee ballot for the August primary, without providing an accessible way for those who are blind like myself to mark our ballots, violates Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The paper ballot that will be available to any voter is not accessible. There are simple solutions, and the National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut insists one of these solutions be used.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Yesterday NBC Connecticut ran a story on this issue. I am disappointed by the response from the Secretary of state’s office: “According to Connecticut law, voters who vote by absentee ballot can have someone they trust fill out the application and/or the absentee ballot for them if they choose.” Wouldn’t you look at someone helping you fill out your ballot as an intrusion of privacy? We both should be allowed to vote on our own without anyone else knowing our business.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Treasurer<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>NFB of Connecticut<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>--<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Of course, please edit the signature part because, well, I am the treasurer, not you! I hope this will work for many of us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>If I can help further in any way, please let me know.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Nathanael<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> CT-NFB [mailto:ct-nfb-bounces@nfbnet.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Maryanne Melley via CT-NFB<br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, May 27, 2020 3:01 PM<br><b>To:</b> 'NFB of Connecticut Mailing List'<br><b>Cc:</b> mvcmelley@gmail.com<br><b>Subject:</b> [CT-NFB] Sample Letters for Secretary of State, Governor Lamont and Attorney General Tong<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Dear Federation Members,<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=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!<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Best Regards,<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Maryanne Melley<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>President<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>860-212-5549<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>mvcmelley@gmail.com<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>“Live the Life You Want”<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>