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

[Dan Burke]

Here's what I posted to the Legislature's web message sysem for the
House State Administration. Please note that we are not opposing this
bill because it is a mail ballot, but because it makes no provisions
for accessible voting.

****

Madame Chair and Members of the Committee -

The National Federation of the Blind of Montana opposes HB428 because
it makes no provisions for accessible voting for blind and other
Montanans with disabilities. Further, permitting that there need be
only one drop off location creates additional accessibility issues for
voters who do not drive due to disability, forcing us to rely on a
third party to mark our ballots or not to vote at all.

Having at long last secured the inalienable right to private and
independent voting under HAVA, we want more of it, not less.  This
bill strikes me as a re-tread from previous sessions, and yet is still
only half-formed. Please vote "no."

Respectfully,
Dan Burke, President NFB MT


****


On 2/14/13, Dan Burke <burke.dall at gmail.com> wrote:
> 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>
>
> Subscribe to the Montana IL Action Alert Email Listserv by visiting
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> the
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>
> Do you Twitter?  You can also now get Montana Independent Living Action
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>
>
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>
>
>
> --
> Dan Burke, President
> The National Federation of the Blind of Montana
>
> Visit us on Face Book at http://bit.ly/nfbmtfb
> My Cell:  406.546.8546
>


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

Visit us on Face Book at http://bit.ly/nfbmtfb
My Cell:  406.546.8546