[NFBMT] Voting Technologies for People with Disabilities

[BRUCE&JOY BRESLAUER]

Hello, fellow NFB of Montana Federationists. 

 

There was a State Administration and Veterans Affairs interim legislative
committee meeting in Helena on March 6 which dealt with voting accessibility
for people with disabilities.

 

The video recording is archived for anyone to listen to the meeting
afterwards.  This video recording will be posted to the SAVA webpage for the
March 6 meeting, which is at this link.
http://leg.mt.gov/css/Committees/interim/2017-2018/State-Administration-and-V
eterans-Affairs/Meetings/Mar-2018/mar-2018.asp
<https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fleg.mt.gov%2
Fcss%2FCommittees%2Finterim%2F2017-2018%2FState-Administration-and-Veterans-A
ffairs%2FMeetings%2FMar-2018%2Fmar-2018.asp&data=02%7C01%7Csscurr%40mt.gov%7C
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served=0>   

 

The following is from the March 15 Disability Rights Montana e-newsletter
regarding this meeting.

 

Interim Legislative Committee Discusses Voting Technology

 

After the Bush/Gore presidential election, Congress passed the Help American
Vote Act.  This sweeping law provided that all polling places must have
accessible voting technology that enables people with disabilities to vote
privately and independently.  It also appropriated funds for each state to
buy the accessible voting technology.

 

In Montana, Disability Rights Montana (DRM) and other advocates participated
in a vender fair to try different voting technologies.  Nearly everyone who
participated voted we purchase the AutoMARK machine for all the polling
places in Montana, and that is what happened.  Now, as these machines are
aging, the State Administration and Veterans Affairs legislative interim
committee are taking a look at the new technologies available.  On March 6,
the committee heard from national experts on accessible voting and  ballot
security.  One of these experts was Michelle Bishop from DRM's national
office, the National Disability Rights Network.    

 

Michelle spoke about the process on the federal level to approve new voting
technology and the importance of having many different representatives of the
disability community participate in testing new technologies.  Although it is
true that local election officials are focused on looking at new technology,
standards for this technology have not yet been adopted at the federal level,
meaning that many vendors have not developed machines, software and other
technology that meets any standards.  Those watching the process believe
standards will be in place by early 2019 and at that point, vendors will
start developing accessible processes for people with disabilities to use to
vote.

 

Until that time, our Montana counties will continue to use the AutoMARK.  We
strongly urge everyone who wants to use an AutoMARK, to do so at their
polling places. We want to hear from you if you experience any issues in
using the machine. 

 

In addition, we strongly recommend  all voters with disabilities take a trip
to the Montana Secretary of State's website.  On this site, voters can check
their registration status on the "My Voter" page at
https://app.mt.gov/voterinfo.  In addition, Montanans with disabilities can
go to the Electronic Ballot Request System page (or EBRS) and fill out a
registration card and a ballot electronically using their own accessible
computers or phones  at  http://sos.mt.gov/elections/disabilities.  Once
completed, the voter then prints out the ballot and returns it to the county
election office in security envelopes provided by that office. 

 

Exercise Your Right to Vote!

 

Montana will hold its Federal Primary Election on June 5, 2018.  DRM has
materials available to assist with registering to vote and understanding your
rights while voting.  If you have an upcoming event where  individuals with
disabilities might benefit from a training or materials on voting rights and
registration, please contact DRM. We may be able to provide a training or
informational materials at 406-449-2344 or advocate at disabilityrightsmt.org.

Joy Breslauer, President

National Federation of the Blind of Montana 

Web Site: http://www.nfbofmt.org

 

Live the life you want

 

The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends
who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation's blind. Every day we work
together to help blind people live the lives they want.