[Nfbmt] Fwd: [Action Alert] HB 428 Hearing Friday, February 15 at 8:00 AM

Thu Feb 14 15:09:22 UTC 2013

Greetings,

I believe we should oppose this bill, HB428, described below, because
it doesn't make any provisions for accessible voting and could allow
counties to have only one drop for mail ballots.  In those communities
with little or no public transportation, that might mean that a blind
voter would not be able to go to the county courthouse easily to use
the AutoMark and vote privately.  And that is only if the AutoMark is
used, something not required by the bill.  Montana's Independent
Living Centers and Disability Rights Montana oppose this bill.

So, here's the drill once again:

HB428 oppose
hearing tomorrow, Feb 15
House State Administration Committee

You can make one call to the House State Administration Committee, or
send one message to the committee on the web form.  Be sure to
identify ourself as a member of the NFB of Montana.

By Telephone
The Legislative Information Desk
(406) 444-4800
7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to adjournment on Saturdays.

Online
You can leave a message via the online contact form for an entire
committee, just check the box for Committee and in this case select
H-State Administration

http://leg.mt.gov/css/Sessions/63rd/legwebmessage.asp

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Montana IL Action Alert on behalf of Travis Hoffman
<montana-il-action-alert at googlegroups.com>
Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2013 21:08:16 -0700
Subject: [Action Alert] HB 428 Hearing Friday, February 15 at 8:00 AM
To: Action Alert System <montana-il-action-alert at googlegroups.com>

Hello,

On Friday, February 15, 2013 at 8:00 AM the House State Administration
Committee will be holding a hearing on HB 428, a bill that would enact a
huge change in the way we vote and let counties decide to eliminate polling
places to instead implement mail ballot elections.

Montana's Centers for Independent Living are opposed to HB 428 because it
makes no accommodations for voters with disabilities.  In order for a mail
ballot system to work there must be adequate systems in place to ensure
accessibility for voters with disabilities and to ensure that voters with
disabilities are able to cast a private ballot.  This bill does not make any
such assurances.

Even though it would bring about a radical change the way that these
elections are conducted by eliminating polling places, the HB 428 is only 2
pages long.  That is because the bill does not amend many of the current
mail ballot provisions to accommodate state and federal elections that
usually attract far more interest than municipal and smaller elections that
can currently be run by mail.

1.   For people with disabilities who need accessible voting machines to
fill out a ballot, the elimination of polling places in favor of mail only
ballots could constitute a substantial obstacle to voting.

Some voters with sight impairments or mobility impairments that prevent the
use of a pencil or pen need to use the AutoMARK machine to complete their
ballot.  For them, mail ballots are no more convenient than voting at
polling places.  In fact, because there will no longer be polling places
which are all required by federal law (HAVA) to have an accessible voting
machine, finding an AutoMARK and filling out the ballot will be far more
difficult.  Practically, some of these voters will have to give up what many
people take for granted -- a private ballot.

2.   HB 428 requires just one "place of deposit" per county, which could be
just the county election office.

Current state law mail ballot provisions require only one "place of deposit"
per county in mail ballot elections, which is a place where voters can
return their ballot if they do not want to send it by mail.

The place of deposit can be the county election office, even in
geographically large counties, which would require voters to drive great
distances to drop off a ballot or to use an AutoMARK machine to mark their
ballots.

People with disabilities are disproportionately of low income.  For low
income voters in these large counties, driving that distance to the county
seat or mailing our state and federal ballots which become longer with each
qualified initiative will both be more expensive options than the current
polling place elections where they only need to drive to the local polling
place.  Also, individuals who do not have their own transportation and who
cannot drive due to their disability will be at an even greater disadvantage
due to the lack of transportation services throughout Montana, especially in
rural areas.

OREGON/MT

The change from polling place elections to mail ballot elections has a
particularly negative impact on people with disabilities in Montana because
the only accessible voting technology available are AutoMARK machines, which
were expensive to purchase and which must be programmed and monitored by
county staff or volunteer election judges.

Advocates in Oregon have had to work towards ensuring accessible mail ballot
elections and more improvements need to be made, however, their accessible
voting technology is far more suited to mail ballot elections.  Oregon's
accessible voting technologies include audio/telephone balloting and
providing electronic versions of ballots so that people can use their own
accessible software on their computers to fill them out.

To view the Hearing Schedule for this bill, select the following Link.
http://laws.leg.mt.gov/legprd/LAW0208W$BLAC.QueryView?P_BILL_DFT_NO=LC1048&P
_BLAC_APPL_SEQ=18&p_sess=20131

Please contact members of the House State Administration Committee and urge
them to resist HB 428 as it makes no assurances for the accessibility of
voting for individuals with disabilities and could disenfranchise thousands
of voters throughout Montana.   If you will be in Helena on Friday, February
15 and would like to testify in person, the hearing for HB 428 will be in
room 455 of the capitol building.

House State Administration Committee Members:
Representative Pat Ingraham Chair
Representative Bryce Bennett
Representative Ted Washburn
Representative Liz Bangerter
Representative Joanne G Blyton
Representative Clarena Brockie
Representative Forrestina (Frosty) Calf Boss Ribs
Representative Pat Connell
Representative Bill Harris
Representative Greg Hertz
Representative David Howard
Representative Doug Kary
Representative Jesse O'Hara
Representative Jean Price
Representative Casey Schreiner
Representative Ray L Shaw
Representative Kathy Swanson
Representative Gordon Vance
Representative Franke Wilmer

Online contact form:
http://leg.mt.gov/css/Sessions/63rd/legwebmessage.asp

Phone: 406-444-4800
TTY: 406-444-4462

Fax:
House: 406-444-482

Mail:
Representative (insert name)
Montana House of Representatives
PO Box 200400
Helena, MT 59620-0400

When submitting your testimony, please be sure to include your name and
address so that they know who you are and where you are from.

Travis Hoffman, BSW
Advocacy Coordinator
Summit Independent Living Center
700 SW Higgins, Suite 101
Missoula, MT 59803
(406) 728-1630 - voice
(800) 398-9002 - toll free
(406) 829-3309 - fax
http://www.summitilc.org <http://www.summitilc.org/>
thoffman at summitilc.org
<applewebdata://E4554B1B-0899-450A-8669-5D8330C607F0/thoffman@summitilc.org>

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Alerts on Twitter by following http://www.twitter.com/mtilactnalrt.

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-- 
Dan Burke, President
The National Federation of the Blind of Montana

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