[IL-Talk] create your voting opportunity

[Jean Rauschenbach]

I would have responded directly to David but I don’t have his email address.


I tried to contact the Rock Island board of elections. I received a very curt response from the clerk there. I identified myself as the president of the national Federation of the blind Black Hawk chapter. I asked if there was anyway that a blind person could vote. Privately and independently but I quickly got the reply that no we don’t have any braille ballots and no we don’t have any plans to have electronic voting. Privately and independently but I quickly got the reply that no we don’t have any braille ballots and no we don’t have any plans to have electronic voting.

Jean Rauschenbach 

> On Sep 16, 2020, at 10:38 AM, David Meyer via IL-Talk <il-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hello everyone,
> 
> 
> 
> Below this note, I am pasting a letter stressing the need for everyone on
> this list to call their respective election authorities now if not sooner. I
> will eventually have a list of numbers that may be called. In order to take
> part, you will need to know the county you are in. Let's all pull together
> and make voting independently by e-mail happen.
> 
> 
> 
> Dear Lister, 
> 
> 
> 
> As you probably know, the Help America Vote Act ensures that voting systems
> must permit people with disabilities to vote independently. Many of us will
> choose to vote by mail in our upcoming election. Mail-in ballots present a
> challenge for us as blind voters, as we need to be able to mark our choices
> without sighted assistance.
> 
> 
> 
> The NFB of Illinois has been working with the Board of Elections to ensure
> that we have the option of voting privately and independently. The state
> Board of Elections has paid for an accessible system that any county can
> use. Unfortunately, only fifteen of the more than one hundred counties in
> the state have opted to acquire this system so far. Please reach out to your
> county board of elections and ask about exercising your right to an
> accessible ballot. 
> 
> 
> 
> Time is of the essence! Counties need to opt into the accessible system by
> Friday, September 18.  If your county needs more information, ask that they
> reach out to the board of elections ADA coordinator and to attend to an
> email sent last week 
> 
> on this issue from the State Board of Elections. 
> 
> 
> 
> Denise Avant has been coordinating our overall efforts on voting rights and
> has the packet sent to all 
> 
> boards of election across the state. Please don't let your rights lapse. Act
> now!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Patti S. Gregory-Chang Esq.
> 
> National Federation of the Blind of Illinois, Treasurer
> 
> 773-307-6440
> 
> www.nfbofillinois.org 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> David Meyer, NFB of Illinois
> 
> Coordinator and Channel Administrator, NFB-NewsLine
> 
> Chicago Chapter President
> 
> 
> 
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