[nfbmi-talk] Call to Action Regarding Next Generation Voting Machines

[J.J. Meddaugh]

Dear Michigan Federationists:

Below is a Call to Action regarding next generation voting machines. 
Please reply or write vp at nfbmi.org if you have any questions.

As you may be aware, the State of Michigan is in the process of 
procuring new voting machines for all 83 counties. The state has 
authorized 3 vendors to provide these machines, with the final decision 
to be made by each county. Based on our user testing last may, our 
affiliate has endorsed the ES&S ExpressVote as the prefered system. This 
machine has similar functionality to the Automark in use currently and 
can be operated independently by a blind person. Users can control the 
speech rate and volume and also turn off the screen. Other machines 
either needed to be set up by an election official for each voter or 
lacked privacy features.

What you can Do

Please call or Email your local county clerk and tell them you want to 
use the ES&S ExpressVote. Contact information is below. Feel free to add 
personal experiences and talk about the importance of accessible and 
independent voting. If you have had good experiences in the past, thank 
them for making sure the machines work. Be firm but polite.
Ask them or find out when your county will be voting on this contract, 
and attend that meeting to give public comment. This will be entered 
into the record for the meeting.
Then tell your friends to do the same.
We have sent a message to all county clerks with our position and are 
receiving favorable responses, but they need to hear from members in 
their own counties.

These machines will be used for voting for the next ten years or more, 
so it's important we act now.

Thank you for your service. Also a big thanks to Mark Eagle and all who 
have worked on this issue to ensure we have a voice.

Cordially,
J.J. Meddaugh, 1st Vice President
NFB of Michigan.

County Clerks contact information
http://michigancountyclerks.us/contact-us/