[NFBMT] Montana Legislative Update: Notice of Public Hearing on Friday, January 22, 2021

Sat Jan 16 14:04:36 UTC 2021

Most bills have a summary at the beginning, stating what it covers and what
it wants to change.

SENATE BILL NO. 15 

INTRODUCED BY J. ELLIS 

BY REQUEST OF THE STATE ADMINISTRATION AND VETERAN AFFAIRS INTERIM COMMITTEE 

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT GENERALLY REVISING ELECTION LAWS RELATED
TO ACCESSIBILITY FOR DISABLED ELECTORS AND THE AVAILABILITY OF VOTER
INTERFACE DEVICES; 

REVISING DEFINITIONS; 

CLARIFYING PROVISIONS ON DESIGNATED AGENTS; 

REVISING REFERENCES TO APPLICABLE FEDERAL LAWS; 

REVISING ELECTION COST PROVISIONS; 

REVISING TIMELINES; 

APPLYING ACCESSIBILITY PROVISIONS TO ALL ELECTIONS 

AND REQUIRING VOTER INTERFACE DEVICES BE AVAILABLE FOR ALL ELECTIONS; 

PROVIDING AND REVISING EXCEPTIONS; 

REVISING ACCESSIBILITY OF POLLING PLACES; 

REVISING ALTERNATIVE METHODS FOR DISABLED ELECTORS TO CAST BALLOTS AND
RECEIVE ASSISTANCE; REVISING THE PENALTY PROVISION FOR DECEIVING A DISABLED
ELECTOR; 

AMENDING SECTIONS 13-1-101, 13-1-116, 13-1-203, 13-1-302, 13-3-14-105,
13-3-201, 13-3-202, 13-3-206, 13-3-208, 13-3-212, 13-3-213, 13-13-118,
13-13-119, 13-13-229, 13-13-

246, 13-19-205, 13-35-202, AND 13-35-208, MCA; AND PROVIDING A DELAYED
EFFECTIVE DATE." 

It is 22 pages long, so let me try to hit the high points.

It has a whole bunch of definitions in it, including describing what a ballot
is, what a mail-in ballot is, what an absentee ballot is, what a provisional
ballot is, what an electronic ballot is, what a voter is, what a voter with a
disability is, what a disability is, what a candidate is, what a polling
place is, what an election administrator does, what a voter interface device
is, training for polling place workers and paying the cost of such training,
how votes should be counted or discounted, how to determine the validity of a
ballot, and so on.

Currently, according to HAVA, (Help America Vote Act), a voter interface
device (a voting system that is accessible to electors with disabilities) is
only available for Federal primary elections and general elections; this bill
wants such a device to be available for all elections, including county,
city, and school elections. 

It discusses the training of polling place workers to assist a disabled voter
if necessary, but to preserve the voter's privacy, independence, and secrecy
rights while processing their vote, even if the vote is cast in such a way
that it is ultimately transcribed onto a standard ballot and counted with the
rest.  It also wants a voter with a disability to be able to vote via email
or an electronic vote delivery system that is totally accessible to a voter
with a disability from start to finish.

It discusses situations where a polling place might be too far away for a
disabled voter to get to, and that a voting place should be accessible to a
disabled voter.  There are also provisions where a voter with a disability
can cast a vote curbside, or can have a polling place worker come to their
residence with a voter interface device so that they can cast their ballot.

If a voter with a disability cannot provide a signature, there are other
marks that they can make on the ballot envelope that can be accepted other
than a signature, including a fingerprint.  Someone else they designate can
also sign for them, and the bill also discusses who cannot sign for them.

It also discusses encouraging poll workers to let the general voting public
know that a voter interface device is not just for the use of voters with
disabilities, and that they can and should use it, too.

If you read it and just remember that the beginning of each line is numbered
and just try to ignore those numbers, it's not too difficult to get through.
Each page is identified at the beginning and the end.  Laws are referenced,
which means something to somebody.

If you have any questions, try to read through it or ask me and I'll try to
answer them.  From what I can tell from my reading of it, this is something
that will go a long way toward making sure we can vote privately,
independently, and securely.  Joy

From: BRUCE&JOY BRESLAUER <breslauerj at gmail.com> 
Sent: Friday, January 15, 2021 10:04 PM
To: nfbmt <nfbmt at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Montana Legislative Update: Notice of Public Hearing on Friday,
January 22, 2021 

Hello, fellow Montana Federationists.

A draft of Senate bill SB15, which seeks to revise election laws related to
accessibility for disabled electors, has been referred to the State
Administration Committee for its first public hearing, which will take place
at 3:00 PM on January 22, 2021.  These dates are always subject to change
with very little notice. See below.

Friday, January 20, 2021 

At 3:00 pm, the Senate State Administration Committee will hear SB 15,
"Revise election laws related to accessibility for disabled electors." 

<https://default.salsalabs.org/T25117135-5663-4440-8d98-c11fcc62d1dd/8f0c3288
-d692-4771-8eaa-55820487dc85> Click here to read this bill. 

This bill was drafted by the interim State Administration and Veterans
Affairs Committee, which sought out input from all stakeholders.  This bill
addresses the availability of accessible voting machines, including assuring
their use in school and other non-federal elections. It also makes various
changes regarding the use of registered agents for voting, referring to
applicable federal law, accessibility of polling places, and protecting
people with disabilities' ability to cast ballots and receive voting
assistance.         

It is sponsored by Sen. Janet Ellis and will be heard in room 335. 

<https://default.salsalabs.org/T01a39a05-a1b3-4428-b7a3-156bb0ec056d/8f0c3288
-d692-4771-8eaa-55820487dc85> Click here for the contact information for the
Senate State Administration Committee.

You may testify in favor of this bill either remotely or in person, or you
may send in written testimony. 

<https://default.salsalabs.org/Tecc877c9-5af2-49b5-925c-1cdcd6ed7602/8f0c3288
-d692-4771-8eaa-55820487dc85> Click Here to Testify Remotely or Submit
Written Testimony

You can now provide testimony without coming to the Capitol:

 <https://leg.mt.gov/public-testimony> Request To Testify Remotely/Upload
Your Testimony

<http://laws.leg.mt.gov/reports/rwservlet?legprdext&report=LAW0635R.rdf&p_ses
sion_Id=20211&paramform=yes> View Hearing Schedule

 <https://leg.mt.gov/faq-remote-testimony> View FAQs For Remote Testimony

You can also still provide public comment how you used to:

 <https://leg.mt.gov/web-messaging> Send A Web Message To A
Legislator/Committee

Call the Information Desk at 406.444.4800

Mail Comments to:
Montana State Legislature
State Capitol
PO Box 201706
Helena, MT 59620-1706

To listen to audio/video streaming of committee hearings,
<https://default.salsalabs.org/T287c518f-c063-451f-a49f-8fe1bcdbb30e/8f0c3288
-d692-4771-8eaa-55820487dc85>  click here.

How to Contact Legislators During the Session

Online Messaging

Use the online messaging form to message a legislator (click button below).
This is one of the quickest and most effective ways of contacting your
legislator. 

Phone Call

Regular office hours during the session are 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and
8 a.m. to adjournment on Saturdays. Callers may leave messages for
legislators or acquire general legislative information by calling the
Information Desk at (406) 444-4800. Callers may leave messages for up to 5
individual legislators or 1 legislative committee per call.

<https://default.salsalabs.org/T1f98205a-4ae4-437b-bd81-bab092158b9e/8f0c3288
-d692-4771-8eaa-55820487dc85> Message a Legislator Now

Not sure who represents you in the Montana Legislature?
<https://default.salsalabs.org/T581f76f4-58e7-4c65-b08b-2db15673e6a4/8f0c3288
-d692-4771-8eaa-55820487dc85> Click Here 

Legislative Meetings & Hearings are Streamed and Recorded

 <http://sg001-harmony.sliq.net/00309/Harmony/en> Watch/Listen To Meetings

How to Contact Legislators During the Session

Online Messaging

Use the online messaging form to message a legislator (click button below).
This is one of the quickest and most effective ways of contacting your
legislator. 

Phone Call

Regular office hours during the session are 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and
8 a.m. to adjournment on Saturdays. Callers may leave messages for
legislators or acquire general legislative information by calling the
Information Desk at (406) 444-4800. Callers may leave messages for up to 5
individual legislators or 1 legislative committee per call.

Not sure who represents you in the Montana Legislature?
<https://default.salsalabs.org/T581f76f4-58e7-4c65-b08b-2db15673e6a4/8f0c3288
-d692-4771-8eaa-55820487dc85> Click Here 

Joy Breslauer, First Vice 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. 

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. 