[NFBMT] LEGISLATIVE ALERT: SB 291 REVISE LAWS ON VOTING SYSTEMS AND BALLOT FORM

[BRUCE&JOY BRESLAUER]

Hello, fellow Montana Federationists.  

 

SB 291, the bill to revise laws on voting systems and ballot form, will have
a public hearing on Tuesday, April 2 at 8:00 A.M. before the House State
Administration Committee.

It already sailed through the Senate, and now it's the House's turn to
consider SB 291.  We should make our voices heard concerning our desire to
vote privately and independently, and our desire to assure that our ballots
are the same as everyone else uses.  Since there are no voting machines
available now that comply with our wishes, the only other option is to push
for integration of the machines so that an increased number and diversity of
voters will use them

 

If I can find transportation to Helena, I will be going to represent us.
Regardless of whether I am able to go, I sent in my testimony.  See below.

 

Snip snip 

I am writing as an individual who is blind, and also as the first vice
president of the National Federation of the Blind of Montana, the largest
consumer advocacy and civil rights organization in the United States,
consisting of over fifty thousand members, and with chapters in all fifty
states, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.  The only way I
would be for this bill is if all voters were encouraged to use the same
voting technology, so that the ballots of disabled voters cannot be
distinguished from those of nondisabled voters.  I would feel better if our
privacy and secrecy rights were built in to the process from the beginning,
rather than added on as a rather clumsy afterthought.  The ballots used by
the disabled should be of the same size and content as those used by the
nondisabled population.  that is the only way to guarantee the secrecy and
privacy of voting which every other citizen enjoys.  I can't stress this
strongly enough.  thank you for taking my concerns into consideration.

 

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.

Snip snip 

 

If you would like to leave a message for a legislator, you can call
406-444-4800 and operators will take a message that will be forwarded to
legislators.  Please be aware that they will ask for your name and address,
which will not be shared other than with the legislator. The operators can
take a message for up to 5 legislators at one time or to an entire committee.

 

You may also contact legislators using the online web message form.

https://leg.mt.gov/web-messaging/

 

Joy Breslauer, First Vice President and Public Policies Committee chair 

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.