[gui-talk] access at the ballot box

[tribble]

Well, I have no idea what type of machine there is, but it is located in a 
senior center here so there are lots of senior citizens who will be voting 
there who might have visual impairments.
The people I have asked assure me that it is accessible, but (1) I don't 
know how they judge access and (2) even they say themselves that they don't 
know the process.
But they do insist it is accessible and that I can vote without assistance. 
(I've heard that line before...*snicker*)
Oh well. Thanks for the note.
--le

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Baracco, Andrew W" <Andrew.Baracco at va.gov>
To: "NFBnet GUI Talk Mailing List" <gui-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, November 03, 2008 12:56 PM
Subject: Re: [gui-talk] access at the ballot box


The Help America Vote Act mandates that there be at least one accessible
voting machine at each polling station.  Generally, elections are run by
counties, with oversight from the state, so I could not tell you which
type of voting equipment is ued in your county in MN.  They range from a
touch screen machine with a keypad, to a machine that marks a paper
ballot and gives audio feedback.  I am pretty sure that there will be an
accessible machine for you to use.  The problem that you may have is
that quite often poll workers are poorly trained on the use of the
accessible machines.  I would suggest that you get to the polling
station at a time when it may be less busy, such as in the middle of the
day when most people are at work.  Personally, because of my work and
commuting schedule, I choose to vote absentee.  The only problem is that
at least here, in California, the absentee ballot is not accessible.
The polling place used to be in the clubhouse of my condo complex, but
wouldn't you know that when they started having accessible voting
machines, the polling station moved to a church that is over a mile from
my home.

Good luck!  and enjoy the experience.  You are making history.

Andy


-----Original Message-----
From: gui-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:gui-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf Of tribble
Sent: Friday, October 31, 2008 6:59 PM
To: Multiple recipients of NFBnet GUI-TALK Mailing List
Subject: [gui-talk] access at the ballot box

Hi all --
I just went to our county website and read the sample ballot they posted
on the net, first in pdf format, then in html.
I had a hard time making sense of either. The formatting was lost to me
and of course the levers or buttons our whatever weren't labeled.
Does anyone have a solution to resolve this problem?
I am told that the voting process is fully accessible and that I will
hopefully be able to bring a set of headphones and listen to the
instructions -- but I wanted to research the candidates I don't know
before voting on this ballot.

What do other people do during elections? I am hoping, probably in vain,
that the poll will indeed have an accessible voting machine, and that I
won't need sighted assistance. I like privacy furing voting.

Anyway, just a rant and a question to others in the blind community.
This will be the first time I vote in Minnesota.

Happy halloween -- don't let the goblins eat all the candy... send it to
me.
I dressed up as a Katrina survivor with a bunch of sparkling mardi gras
beads around my neck and a crawfish hat.  No one said anything so I took
it off -- then they were really scared...*snicker* --le



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