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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">All,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">If you are voting later today, I wanted to give you a heads up about the automatic marking device. While I can only attest to my polling place and the machines there, I’m assuming the same
type of machines are used elsewhere in Maryland.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Firstly, the actual voting selection process was fully accessible with the audio version. The issue I experienced was in the initialization of the machine after inserting the paper ballot into
the printer. Due to the different primary ballots for each party, there is an onscreen choice to select which primary you are voting in. This unfortunately did not have any audio directions to be able to make the selection on the touch screen without some
usable eyesight or assistance.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">If you are low vision, the screen color of the device can be inverted if a dark background helps or as I did use a handheld magnifier to read the screen. Of course, you can also ask for assistance
from one of the polling place administrators.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">I was very fortunate to be the only voter when I arrived bright and early. They did double check the machine’s manual and found a line entry about needing to select the party at the start of
the voting process, but it was not in the section about the audio version per my recollection.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">If you have assistance to locate the machine, just ask them to help you through the initialization of the primary selection to start the ballot and then from there you should be able to vote
independently using the audio feedback and handheld tactile controller.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Hear you tonight at the TLC chapter meeting.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">With regards,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Scott Soldan<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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