[NFBMI-Talk] Voting Meeting With Secretary of State and Attorney General

[Michael Powell]

Hello all.

I have had this bothering me for a little while and now I think I know what
it is.  The fact is we are going to have to use a very important election in
November as a test run for whatever system the state of Michigan agrees to
go with between August and November.  I think if we were going to test
anything the August primary, or any time before,  would have been the time
to do it.  After all, we have only been trying to get someone to talk or
listen to us since 2014 if not sooner.  Now we are being asked to use a
temporary measure again and then hope, that those who have not demonstrated
good faith to this point, will follow through and implement a system we will
all have to hope will work.  Fred responded in a text message to me on
Monday that I was 100% right in saying that anything less than what the
consent eecree stated should not be settled for.  It was already stated that
the military ballot would not be  the best choice for the August primary,
but now, we are having to settle for it.  If Democracy Live can set
something up in ten days then I think if I was going to do a test run I
would trust it more than anything else as it has already proven to be a good
system.  But the state continues to delay and after it looks at  other
systems and then nothing gets done.  I am also insulted when state officials
claim they are on our side and that if we just hang in there then things
will work out.  I am starting to think if anyone wants my input they can get
it in court since I am working through the courts at this point since we
have exhausted all other remedies.  Having to state a position in the
presence of other state agencies who are posturing themselves to look as if
they have a stake in this is offensive to me and insults myintelligence.
They only want to be there so they can look like they have always been on
the winning team.  Ask Mark Eaglehow many times he has been brushed off and
pushed aside.  We must remember that all they ever did was send us back to
ADA coordinators and back to square one.    Their only interest in us was
when they had to be a part of a panel at some university presentation to
talk about rights for the disabled.  As far as the press, we all know that
they have their biases, see resolution 2020-19.  If the press wants to know
what Ithink they should have talked to me before I went to court.  Now if
they want to know what I think they can work through Jason, Eve, or the
judge.    NFB shouldn't have to keep restating its position at meeting after
meeting.  Now as far as the governor and attorney general, if they are so
concerned with me being exposed to covid then they should declare an
emergency executive order requiring the state use one of the already proven
systems for accessible voting.  If we can close bars and restaurants down in
two days then surely we can get a real solution underway.  For the record, I
will refuse to use the accessible absentee military ballot in August as long
as my E S and S machine is available.  Since I am the only one in my
district who seems to ever use it, and since it is the machine that we all
agreed was the best system despite the fact that the state and most of the
counties ignored our recommendations, I want to be sure my ballot will be
counted.  If the state really wants to show good faith, and that includes
the governor, attorney general and secretary of state,  they would address
the entire situation with voting machine concerns we have all been having
since Dominion and Heart machines were used.       

I am tired of putting lists together, conference calls, group discussions,
and the like only to find that the November election will not be standing on
good ground as it could have been since we will be testing a voting system
that will be implemented because we had to force the issue.  If it fails
then blind people will once again be disenfranchised.  I will be happy to
meet tomorrow but I firmly believe anything we say at this meeting has the
potential to water down or sidestep the weight of what needs to be settled
either in court or by direct executive action.  If the state has been
working on this since May then they need to prove it in court.  As our
contemt filing stated, dragging the feet on this hardly qualifies as
extenuating circumstances.   

 

Mike

 

 

From: Fred Wurtzel [mailto:f.wurtzel at att.net] 
Sent: Saturday, July 18, 2020 12:42 AM
To: 'Michael Powell'; brina.simmons at gmail.com; 'Mark Eagle'; 'J.J.
Meddaugh'; 'Mark Eagle'; robertrparsons at wmich.edu; drice at nfbmi.org
Cc: 'Ody Norkin'; 'Jason Turkish'; 'Ryan Kaiser'; 'NFB of Michigan Internet
Mailing List'; 'Posont, Donna'
Subject: Voting Meeting With Secretary of State and Attorney General

 

Hello Fellow Federationists,

 

President Mike Powell has asked that we have a board meeting on Sunday at
1:00 pm to discuss a meeting for Monday at 10 am with the AG and the SOS.
The Monday meeting is allegedly for invitees only, though, in my opinion,
this would be an illegal closed meeting.    The agenda calls for 5 minutes
each for the AG and SOS and then 1 hour and 50 minutes for invitees.  There
are a number of invitees not affiliated with the NFBMI.  

 

It seems like a good idea to create a list of questions to ask each
official.  These questions need to ask the officials why since more than 20
other states have accessible no-reason absentee voting and according to our
convention, this week, one company, Democracy Live, can have a solution for
a state in 10 days.  Why, since we notified the SOS and county clerks in
2016 about voting concerns that nothing has been done.  There are lots more
questions which we need to ask.  We want to create a list of necessary
questions.  Other questions could also be asked but we want to assure that
we ask the most essential ones.

 

Thanks.

 

Warmest Regards,

 

Fred