[NFBMT] Voting

[president at nfbofmt.org]

Hi All,

I am trying to use the Secretary of State's electronic voting system for the
second time.  In theory, this system lets a voter with a disability go to
the website, apply for an electronic ballot, vote online, and return the
ballot through the mail or by dropping the ballot off at a ballot collection
point.  Most Montana counties are voting by mail only, and this electronic
option is an important one.  However, one can also take your ballot to the
elections office and use the voting machine, or one can use a human
reader/scribe to complete the mail ballot.

So far, the electronic option is going great for me.  There is now a link on
the SOS home page for voting by this method.  I completed the steps to apply
for the option, and I received the e-mail with a PIN and link to the online
voting system.  I'll let you know how the rest of the process goes.

One huge barrier for blind voters is that the electronic voting system
requires one to print the ballot, to print the secrecy envelope, and to
print the mailing envelope.  Many blind people don't have printers at home,
and those of us who do often have to rely on a sighted assistant to complete
the printing.  There exist other methods of voting online that do not
require printing, and the National Federation of the Blind of Montana is
doing our best to get Montana to adopt the better technology.

It would be terrific if others would try this electronic system.  If you do,
please give me a shout.  We need more evidence of well or poorly it goes.
If you cannot make the electronic method work for you, one can always resort
to the other options mentioned above.  Anyhow, please let me know if you are
voting with the electronic method.

Best!


Jim Marks
President
National Federation of the Blind of Montana
president at nfbofmt.org
(406) 438-1421
www.nfbofmt.org

You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back.