[NFBMT] ExpressVote

[BRUCE&JOY BRESLAUER]

I just came back from Helena to visit the ExpressVote machine.  As far as
nonvisual access is concerned, it works almost exactly like the AutoMark.
You can wear headphones to listen to the voice prompts.  It has a keypad that
is quite similar to the AutoMark, with arrow buttons and a select key in the
middle.  You can increase or decrease the volume and increase or decrease the
voice speed.  You can also pause the voice output or turn off the screen.
The machine costs around $3500 each.  A tabulator costs anywhere from $10,000
to $50,000 to $100,000, depending on how fast you want to count the ballots.
The ballots are a different size than the standard ballots, but if the
polling place has a tabulator, it will not be necessary to transcribe the
ballots onto standard ballot forms.  They plan to retire the AutoMARKS by the
presidential election in 2020.  There is $750,000 grant money that is being
used to purchase these machines and tabulators and whatever else is necessary
to ensure voter privacy and security.  The grant money will be matched so the
total amount to spend on all this is a million and a half dollars.  Each
polling place will have one ExpressVote machine to start with, and presumably
more when more money becomes available or if the demand is great enough.  By
law the polling workers need to know how to use it and troubleshoot it and
fix it if necessary, and they will direct as many nondisabled voters as
possible to use it.  There is a model that can be placed on a desk and one
that you can stand at, with a privacy screen.  If you use the screen
visually, you can mess with the font size and the contrast.  Otherwise, it
works like a touch screen.  The ballot displays on the screen and you can
make your selections as you would with a touch screen.  There are two tactile
pads to choose from for nonvisual users, one is like the AutoMARK and one has
the choices "yes" and "no" in Braille on it.  That might be useful for
someone who doesn't have finger or hand dexterity.  There is also a sip and
puff feature.  These machines weigh about twenty pounds, and everything fits
into a bag that can be carried around.  The AutoMARK machines are ore
mechanical and therefore more subject to breaking down; these are more
software driven and will have periodic software updates.

 

They had two hours of demonstration time today, and they will have one hour
tomorrow between 8:00 and 9:00 A.M.  Then they will have the certification
ceremony.  Then they will take public comments afterwards from those who are
there.  

 

I tried unsuccessfully to mess it up.

 

If anyone has any questions, please contact me or Stuart Fuller, Elections
and Voter Services Manager, Secretary of State's Office, by email at
Stuart.Fuller at mt.gov <mailto:Stuart.Fuller at mt.gov> , or by phone at
406-444-4282, or by sending an email to soselections at mt.gov. 

 

 

Joy Breslauer, First Vice President

National Federation of the Blind of Montana 

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