[Greater-baltimore] Action Needed in Annapolis on Absentee Ballot Bill

[NFBMD]

Hello All,

Your Help is urgently needed during this last week of the Maryland General
Assembly. Please email or call, read below.

 

***ACTION ALERT***

Disability Community Help Needed!

SB 1078:  Election Law - Absentee Ballots - Internet or Facsimile
Transmission

 

.              Please ask members of the House Ways and Means Committee to
support SB 1078, which has already passed the full Senate.  

 

.              Tell them SB 1078 is an important bill for the disability
community because:

 

.              The bill permits voters with disabilities and military and
overseas voters to receive their absentee ballots by email and to use an
accessible online ballot marking tool to mark the ballot before printing it
and mailing it in.

 

.              The bill promotes voter independence and privacy for voters
with disabilities.  The online delivery and ballot marking tool will be
available to a voter with disabilities if it would assist the voter to vote
independently. 

 

.              The ballot marking tool would allow voters with disabilities,
such as voters with a vision disability or a dexterity disability, who use
accessible computer technology to mark their absentee ballot independently
and privately.  

 

.              SB 1078 provides voters with disabilities who wish to vote by
absentee ballot with the same voting opportunities as voters without
disabilities!

 

This technology is NOT online voting.  It is an online absentee ballot
delivery and marking system.  

 

SBOE has agreed to an amendment that would require the certification of the
online ballot marking tool which will address any security concerns. 

 

SB 1078 is an important step to making the absentee ballot process
accessible to voters with disabilities. Call or email your Delegate TODAY! 

 

House Ways & Means Committee

If you are not able to contact all committee members, please try to contact
the delegates with stars next to their names and let them know this bill
will be heard in their committee on Tuesday or Wednesday and is important to
the disability committee!

 

Name
Phone
County

*Sheila E. Hixson, Chair                                (410) 841-3469,
(301) 858-3469                   Montgomery

Samuel I. Rosenberg, Vice-Chair              (410) 841-3297, (301) 858-3297
Baltimore City

 

*Jon S. Cardin, Subcommittee Chair       (410) 841-3833, (301) 858-3833
Baltimore County

*Kathryn L. Afzali                                             (410)
841-3288, (301) 858-3288                   Frederick             

*Kumar P. Barve                                               (410)
841-3464, (301) 858-3464                   Montgomery

*Talmadge Branch                                           (410) 841-3398,
(301) 858-3398                   Baltimore City   

*Jolene Ivey                                                      (410)
841-3478, (301) 858-3478                   Prince George's                

*LeRoy E. Myers, Jr.                                        (410) 841-3321,
(301) 858-3321                   Allegany & Washington

*Justin D. Ross                                                  (410)
841-3652, (301) 858-3652                   Prince George's

*Michael G. Summers                                    (410) 841-3340, (301)
858-3340                   Prince George's

 

Joseph C. Boteler III                                       (410) 841-3365,
(301) 858-3365                   Baltimore County

Mark N. Fisher                                                  (410)
841-3231, (301) 858-3231                   Calvert                 

C. William Frick                                                (410)
841-3454, (301) 858-3454                   Montgomery

Ronald A. George                                            (410) 841-3439,
(301) 858-3439                   Anne Arundel

Glen Glass                                                           (410)
841-3280, (301) 858-3280                   Cecil & Harford

Carolyn J. B. Howard                                      (410) 841-3919,
(301) 858-3919                   Prince George's                

Anne R. Kaiser                                                  (410)
841-3036, (301) 858-3036                   Montgomery     

Eric G. Luedtke                                                  (410)
841-3110, (301) 858-3110                   Montgomery

Aruna Miller                                                      (410)
841-3090, (301) 858-3090                   Montgomery

Andrew A. Serafini                                         (410) 841-3447,
(301) 858-3447                   Washington       

Melvin L. Stukes                                               (410)
841-3544, (301) 858-3544                   Baltimore City

Frank S. Turner                                                 (410)
841-3246, (301) 858-3246                   Howard

Jay Walker                                                          (410)
841-3581, (301) 858-3581                   Prince George's

 

 

*Member of the Election Law Subcommittee who will vote on the bill first.

 

 

 

Thank You!

 

For more information, please contact Lauren Kallins at the Maryland
Disability Law Center

LaurenK at mdlclaw.org