<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:large;color:#ff9900">Greetings, All. <br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:large;color:#ff9900"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:large;color:#ff9900">Because I have seen this message getting buried by unrelated responses, I am resending it to refocus attention to this most important topic: <br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:large;color:#ff9900"><br clear="all"></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><span style="color:rgb(153,153,153)"><font size="4" face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif"><b><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:large;color:rgb(255,153,0)">Al</span><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:large;color:rgb(255,153,0)"> Sylvestre, Chairman</span></b></font></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><span style="color:rgb(153,153,153)"><font size="4" face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif"><b><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:large;color:rgb(255,153,0)">Advisory Board for Persons who are Blind or</span></b></font></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><span style="color:rgb(153,153,153)"><font size="4" face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif"><b><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:large;color:rgb(255,153,0)">Visually Impaired</span></b></font></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><span style="color:rgb(153,153,153)"><font size="4" face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif"><b><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:large;color:rgb(255,153,0)"><br></span></b></font></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><span style="color:rgb(153,153,153)"><font size="4" face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif"><b><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:large;color:rgb(255,153,0)">
</span></b></font></span></span><div><div style="border-color:rgb(225,225,225) currentcolor currentcolor;border-style:solid none none;border-width:1pt medium medium;padding:3pt 0in 0in"><p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> CT-NFB [mailto:<a href="mailto:ct-nfb-bounces@nfbnet.org" target="_blank">ct-nfb-bounces@nfbnet.org</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Scott C. LaBarre via CT-NFB<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, October 08, 2020 5:23 PM<br></p></div></div><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4">Greetings Connecticut!</font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4">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.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4">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 3<sup>rd</sup> Election, we will work with you to get a system adopted in CT that will be more effective. </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4">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.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4">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:</font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"><a href="https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Election-Services/Absentee-Ballot-Application/Absentee-Ballot-Application-English-and-Spanish" target="_blank">https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Election-Services/Absentee-Ballot-Application/Absentee-Ballot-Application-English-and-Spanish</a></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4">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:</font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"><a href="https://get.adobe.com/reader/" target="_blank">https://get.adobe.com/reader/</a></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4">For convenience, I have attached the English version of the application to this email. See attached.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4">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. </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4">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.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"><br></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4">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. </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4">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.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4">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.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4">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:</font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4">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.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4">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. </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4">Ok Connecticut, I know I have given you a lot of information. So feel free to email me at <a href="mailto:slabarre@labarrelaw.ccom" target="_blank">slabarre@labarrelaw.ccom</a>
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. </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4">Thanks and have a great day!!</font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4">Let’s do our duty and vote!</font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4">Best,</font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4">Scott</font></p>
<span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><span style="color:rgb(153,153,153)"><font size="4" face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif"><b><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:large;color:rgb(255,153,0)"></span></b></font></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>