[IL-Talk] Action Alert for IL SB 282, Accessible Ballot Return

[davant1958 at gmail.com]

Hello,

As many of you know, the NFB of Illinois, Access Living Chicago, Equip for
Equality, Illinois Council of the Blind and Reform for Illinois are
advocating for state legislation to make sure that the absentee voting
option is entirely accessible to blind, low vision and print disabled
voters. We already have accessible electronic ballot delivery, which is
being able to receive, verify and mark your ballot using your own assistive
technology. But there are shortcomings because you still have to print it
out, sign and either mail or drop it off, all of which may well require
assistance.

We now need you, your family members and friends  to reach out to state
senators and representatives to ask them to make sure SB 282 is part of the
omnibus election bill this year. We want to know that we can vote absentee
privately and independently for the 2024 IL primary and beyond. Thank you
for your participation.

 

See the below action alert, which will help you in contacting your state
legislators.

 

ACTION ALERT: Tell Your Legislators to Support Accessible Ballot Return for
Illinois Elections Beginning with the 2024 Primary 

Election-Support  SB 282

 

In 2022, the Illinois General Assembly passed, and Governor Pritzker signed
into law, SB 829/P.A. 102-819, which established a remote accessible vote by
mail system that allows voters with print disabilities to electronically
receive, mark and verify, but not return, their vote by mail ballots using
their own assistive technology. However, since voters with print
disabilities must still print, sign and return their ballots to the local
election authority by mail or in person, voters with print disabilities must
still rely on someone without a print disability to complete the vote by
mail process, depriving them of the right to vote privately and
independently.

Passage of SB 282 will allow voters with print disabilities to return their
vote by mail ballots electronically and ensure that voters with print
disabilities can vote by mail privately and independently at home, work, or
other convenient location, using a computer and their own assistive
technology.  It will also ensure that electronic documents and web pages
that must be used as part of the remote vote by mail system are accessible
to voters with print disabilities. 

SB 282 will afford voters with print disabilities an opportunity to vote by
mail that is equal to that afforded to voters without disabilities, namely,
without assistance, and bridge the accessibility gap that currently exists
in vote by mail in Illinois.  

THE TIME FOR ACTION IS NOW!

CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS ASAP TO LET THEM KNOW WE NEED ACCESSIBLE VOTE BY
MAIL FOR Illinois elections beginning with the 2024 March primary election
AND URGE THEM TO SUPPORT passage of SB 282. 

Click
<https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.elect
ions.il.gov%2Felectionoperations%2Fdistrictlocator%2Fdistrictofficialsearchb
yaddress.aspx&data=04%7C01%7Crwilftownsend%40legalactionchicago.org%7Ced49b5
98d7814a95a57708d9f7090122%7Ccc161ac210c5420b9b8066b398123070%7C1%7C1%7C6378
12440321156912%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiL
CJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=u8vzctLxmqHTMGtIkPKK%2FxCj%2FeRU4
U8gvfaoQ5hGR40%3D&reserved=0> HERE to look up your State Senator and your
State Representative.

BE SURE TO TELL YOUR LEGISLATORS THAT YOU ARE ONE OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS!