[il-talk] Fwd: Illinois Constitutional Convention Notice Voter Information

[AZNOR99 at aol.com]

I sent a message to the Chicago Bar Association to ask what guidance they  
might offer someone who is blind or print disabled.  Their response is  below.  
Basically, an election judge is required to read the question to  anyone with 
low vision or blindness prior to their entering the voting  booth.  Has this 
happened to those of you who participated in early  voting?  I'm curious as to 
how many of us will actually have an election  judge do this.
 
Ronza
 
 
 
  
____________________________________
 From: bmcmeen at chicagobar.org
To: AZNOR99 at aol.com
CC:  pollwatcher at chicagobar.org
Sent: 11/3/2008 4:58:49 P.M. Central Standard  Time
Subj: RE: Illinois Constitutional Convention Notice Voter  Information


Dear Ronza: I have been informed that  in the judgment that Judge Howse 
entered as well as his supplemental order  that was entered last week explicitly 
requires the judges of election to read  the Corrective Notice to every voter 
who is vision impaired.   
Please let us know if you have any other  questions.
Beth
 
Beth McMeen
CLE Director
The  Chicago Bar Association




-----Original Message-----
From: AZNOR99 at aol.com  [mailto:AZNOR99 at aol.com]
Sent: Sunday, November 02, 2008 7:32  PM
To: cle at chicagobar.org
Subject: Re: Illinois  Constitutional Convention Notice Voter Information


I want to know if it is a further violation to provide the document in  
written form on election day but not provide a mechanism for reading it for  those 
of us who have print disabilities such as blindness.  For  example, the ballot 
itself is now in an audio form for those of us who need  such an 
accommodation under the Help America Vote Act.  Would the  provision of written notice at 
the polling site constitute a violation of  this Act since there would be no 
effective way for blind and print disabled  voters to read it independently?
 
Ronza Othman
 
 
In a message dated 10/31/2008 2:59:25 P.M. Central Standard Time,  
cle at chicagobar.org writes:

 
Dear CBA Member: 
As you have probably heard, the CBA has filed suit challenging the form  of 
the ballot for the referendum in the upcoming election about the  calling of a 
Constitutional Convention in Illinois. The CBA has not taken  a position 
supporting or opposing holding a Constitutional Convention. Our  lawsuit is simply 
intended to ensure that the referendum is conducted in a  fair and 
constitutional manner. 
The circuit and appellate courts have agreed with us that the form of  ballot 
certified by the State Board of Elections is inaccurate, biased,  and 
misleading. The courts have ordered that each voter, before voting, be  given a 
"Corrective Notice" in the form of the attached pdf file entitled  "Con-Con 
Notice." All voters throughout Illinois are supposed to receive  the Notice, 
including those voting by absentee ballot, Early Voting, and  on Election Day. 
We believe that the Corrective Notice does not adequately remedy the  legally 
defective ballot, and we intend to file a petition for leave to  appeal after 
the election asking the Supreme Court to decide that issue.  In the meantime, 
however, we have received reports that some voters are  not receiving the 
Corrective Notice. To attempt to determine the extent of  compliance or 
noncompliance with the court orders requiring distribution  of the Notice, we are 
asking voters to fill-out the attached  one-page affidavit (the pdf file entitled 
"Con-Con Affidavit



") and return it to the CBA at pollwatcher at chicagobar.org  
<mailto:pollwatcher at chicagobar.org> or by fax to (312)  554-2054. 
Please feel free to forward this email to your colleagues, friends and  
family. They should likewise feel free to forward the email to other  Illinois 
voters. The more responses we receive, the better we will be able  to assess the 
extent to which the remedy prescribed by the courts has been  implemented. 
I am proud that our Association has taken a leadership role in this  matter. 
With your assistance, we can try to ensure that the remedy  fashioned by the 
courts does not prove to be illusory. 
Thank you for your help. 
Sincerely, 
Terrence M. Murphy 
Executive  Director


 
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