[KeyStoneChapter] [NFBP-Talk] Democracy Live In PA

Wed Nov 4 02:42:15 UTC 2020

Hi All,

Well, I have an email from our election board saying my ballot was received. I had a friend drive me to the courthouse and I handed it to them. If you don’t want to mail it in (and I had no time to mail it in) you have to take it in person to a drop off point. In Susquehanna county, that meant going to the courthouse. Funny thing is, though you have to present yourself and your ballot, they don’t ask for identification. 

I was out of town with a nonfunctional laptop for several weeks, and I erroneously thought that we could submit it online, which we should be able to do. The fact that we couldn’t meant that I had to find a printer. Mine is 15 years old and hasn’t been hooked up in a decade. Anyway, it was a marathon, getting someone to take me to Walmart, getting several people to try to get the darn thing to work. On Saturday, 3 people spent over 7 hours before we finally had a print-out. I consider the printer cost to be a poll tax. I wonder how many blind people who are not active in the movement and/or have careers that require such things actually have printers.

Cheers,

Donna Hill, Susquehanna county, PA

From: KeyStoneChapter <keystonechapter-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Deneice Hopper via KeyStoneChapter
Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2020 11:41 AM
To: Keystone Chapter List of the NFB of Pennsylvania <keystonechapter at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Deneice Hopper <grannydee214 at sbcglobal.net>
Subject: Re: [KeyStoneChapter] [NFBP-Talk] Democracy Live In PA

Hi Lisa,

By the time I got my ballot in the mail we already knew that we had to put name and address on the back outer envelope. I did have to have assistance to do this. I signed my name and put it in the mailbox and have not heard anything cents. I voted.

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 3, 2020, at 11:25 AM, Steve Repsher via KeyStoneChapter <keystonechapter at nfbnet.org <mailto:keystonechapter at nfbnet.org> > wrote:

Hi Lisa,

The extra steps were to fill out the printed declaration on the outer envelope with your name and address, in addition to signing and dating anywhere on the envelope.  In my opinion, the instructions on this part were not clear at all and so I followed up with my county's chief election clerk (forwarded to you).  To her credit, she quickly followed up with the Department of State and confirmed that the name and address needed to be declared or it would constituted a fatal error and may not count.  I received her reply on 10/25 and then this automated email on 10/28:

Dear Voter:
It has come to our attention that you have retrieved your Accessible Remote Ballot. The Department of State has recently updated the instructions to provide you with more information regarding the Voter’s Declaration on the back of your envelope and the ways in which you can return your voted ballot. The deadline to return your ballot is 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, November 3, 2020. You can return your voted ballot by mail or return your ballot in person at a drop-box, county election office, or satellite office. 
If you have already returned your ballot, please disregard this email. We only enhanced the instructions for clarity.
Sincerely,
Department of State

While I appreciated the quick response, what is bothersome about this email is that it neither includes any information about how the instructions were clarified nor what a voter could do if they may have done something incorrectly and already sent in their ballot.

Steve

On Tue, Nov 3, 2020 at 10:00 AM Lisa Andrews via KeyStoneChapter <keystonechapter at nfbnet.org <mailto:keystonechapter at nfbnet.org> > wrote:

Hi Denice,

I’m writing an article on voter accessibility and have a question about the Omniballot.

Joe and Lynn mentioned there was additional information on the return envelope that was required to complete or the vote may not count.  Can you tell me what information that was? How did you complete that?

I am submitting the article today so hope you don’t mind that I need a quick reply.

Thanks loads!

Lisa                   

From: KeyStoneChapter <keystonechapter-bounces at nfbnet.org <mailto:keystonechapter-bounces at nfbnet.org> > On Behalf Of Denice Brown via KeyStoneChapter
Sent: Wednesday, October 14, 2020 9:09 AM
To: bmackey88 at gmail.com <mailto:bmackey88 at gmail.com> ; 'NFB of Pennsylvania Talk, state list' <nfbp-talk at nfbnet.org <mailto:nfbp-talk at nfbnet.org> >; greaterphilly-request at nfbnet.org <mailto:greaterphilly-request at nfbnet.org> ; keystonechapter at nfbnet.org <mailto:keystonechapter at nfbnet.org> ; pabs at nfbnet.org <mailto:pabs at nfbnet.org> ; pacapitalchapter at nfbnet.org <mailto:pacapitalchapter at nfbnet.org> ; pagdu at nfbnet.org <mailto:pagdu at nfbnet.org> ; 'NFB Greater Berks Chapter Google Group' <nfb-greater-berks-chapter at googlegroups.com <mailto:nfb-greater-berks-chapter at googlegroups.com> >; nfb-pa-bell at googlegroups.com <mailto:nfb-pa-bell at googlegroups.com> 
Cc: Denice Brown <dbrown8827 at aol.com <mailto:dbrown8827 at aol.com> >
Subject: Re: [KeyStoneChapter] [NFBP-Talk] Democracy Live In PA

Hi Everyone,

I am pleased to tell you that I received my Democracy Live Ballot yesterday. I accessed it at the given website.The directions were clear, and that allowed me to cast my ballot, review my choices, and print it off for delivery to the post office, or an election dropoff center.

It felt great to have another way to vote privately, and independently.

Your vote is your Voice!

Denice Brown

Greater Philadelphia Chapter – President

NFB of PA

Dbrown8827 at aol.com <mailto:Dbrown8827 at aol.com> 

From: NFBP-Talk [mailto:nfbp-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Brian Mackey via NFBP-Talk
Sent: Tuesday, October 13, 2020 9:07 PM
To: NFBP listserv; greaterphilly-request at nfbnet.org <mailto:greaterphilly-request at nfbnet.org> ; keystonechapter at nfbnet.org <mailto:keystonechapter at nfbnet.org> ; pabs at nfbnet.org <mailto:pabs at nfbnet.org> ; pacapitalchapter at nfbnet.org <mailto:pacapitalchapter at nfbnet.org> ; pagdu at nfbnet.org <mailto:pagdu at nfbnet.org> ; NFB Greater Berks Chapter Google Group; nfb-pa-bell at googlegroups.com <mailto:nfb-pa-bell at googlegroups.com> 
Cc: Brian Mackey
Subject: [NFBP-Talk] Democracy Live In PA

>From the desk of NFB of Pennsylvania President Lynn Heitz.

Hello Fellow Blind Voters in PA,

Please Join Us For This Most Important Demonstration!!!

We are excited to share the below demonstration sponsored by Democracy Live. The Founder/CEO, Bryan Finney, and Director of Outreach  will be hosting a demonstration for the OmniBallot on Thursday evening, at 8:00 PM, specifically for the state of Pennsylvania, as the voting process varies from state to state. Any blind voter living in Pennsylvania is welcome. 

Requesting an accessible absentee ballot:

https://www.votespa.com/Voting-in-PA/Pages/Accessible-Remote-Ballot-Marking-Solution-for-Mail-Voting.aspx?eType=EmailBlastContent <https://www.votespa.com/Voting-in-PA/Pages/Accessible-Remote-Ballot-Marking-Solution-for-Mail-Voting.aspx?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=3dac4230-8280-45c4-89b6-470939896e05> &eId=3dac4230-8280-45c4-89b6-470939896e05

Zoom Meeting

Topic: PA OmniBallot Demo

Time: Oct 15, 2020 05:00 PM Pacific Time / 8:00 PM Eastern

Host: Charlie Kinnune

Co-Host: Bryan Finney

Join Zoom Meeting

https://democracylive.zoom.us/j/97359795580?pwd=SnJRVFhlVnA3bk9Qc3BWWmwycTJDUT09 

Meeting ID: 973 5979 5580

Passcode: 333983

For Audio

        +1 253 215 8782 

One tap mobile

+12532158782,,97359795580# 

I am looking forward to seeing all of you at this Zoom presentation,

Lynn Heitz

President

NFB of PA

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