[NFBNJ] Fwd: Only a few hours left for your voice to be heard: Your Action needed TODAY by 3:00 PM

Wed Feb 15 10:30:13 UTC 2023

As members of the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey, and as
a voting resident of New Jersey our support is vital for passage of
Assembly Bill A4746 / Senate S3302 that would provide for accessible voting
from home and Electronic Ballot Transmission of our ballots to and from our
County Clerk’s office. Please share far and wide with blind and sighted
individuals asking family, friends, co-workers, classmates, fellow
worshipers and other blindness and disability organizations to submit
support testimony in favor of passing these bills.

On Thursday, February 16, the Assembly State and Local Government Committee
will be hearing testimony at 2 p.m. from those of us wishing to personally
make our case. If you cannot come to Trenton on Thursday, here is the link
for submitting your letter of support.

https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/committees/assembly-committees/contact?committee=ASL

Testimony is limited to three minutes (there will be a sound and a light
cue when your time is up) so it’s important to summarize your points
briefly and succinctly. Keep your testimony to one page or shorter and be
sure to include your name, your town of residence and your State
Legislative District. This is specific to New Jersey municipalities and is
different from our respective Congressional districts.

First, read the bill using the link below or pasted after my signature
block. Then, in your own words, write about why a totally accessible
electronic way of having to vote is important to you. Remember those
pre-COVID times when you held up the line at your local polling place
because staff didn’t know where the accessible voting device was or how to
set it up? I am sure you can think of other times you wished you could vote
on your own computer from your own home, vote privately and independently
without having to rely on family or friends for assistance.

https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2022/A4746/bill-text?f=A5000&n=4746_I1

Title II of the ADA requires that voters with disabilities have the same
opportunity to vote privately and independently as voters without
disabilities.   Problems with only having Electronic Ballot Transmission and
not having electronic ballot return as an option are:

   - Many blind voters do not own a printer.
   - Even if a printer is owned, there is no verification that what is
   printed is correct which requires sighted assistance, therefore,
compromising
   privacy of the ballot.
   - Having to provide a signature is problematic as it may require sighted
   assistance.
   - Electronic Ballot Transmission provides alternatives to signature
   matching.

If you plan to testify in person, please register by clicking on the link
below. Please wear business attire as if you were participating in
Washington Seminar. Bring *12 *copies of your testimony with you as they
likely will be distributed to the legislators who are present. You must
register by 3 p.m. Wednesday February 15. The address for the hearing is
the State House Annex, Fourth Floor, Committee Room 13. Please arrive no
later than 1:45 p.m. sharp.

https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/live-proceedings/2023-02-16-14:00:00/ASL/Meeting

Warmly,
Linda Melendez, President
National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey
908-590-1747
president at nfbnj.org

****

Bill A4746

Session 2022 - 2023

ASSEMBLY, No. 4746

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

220th LEGISLATURE

INTRODUCED OCTOBER 11, 2022

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman  LOUIS D. GREENWALD

District 6 (Burlington and Camden)

Assemblywoman  ELLEN J. PARK

District 37 (Bergen)

Assemblyman  DANIEL R. BENSON

District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblyman Conaway and Assemblywoman McKnight

SYNOPSIS

     Requires availability of accessible mail-in ballot for voters with
disabilities.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

An Act concerning an accessible mail-in ballot for voters with disabilities
and supplementing P.L.2009, c.79 (C.19:63-1 et seq.).

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New
Jersey:

     1.    a.  Whenever a county clerk receives a request from a voter with
a disability for an accessible mail-in ballot, that ballot shall be sent to
that voter by electronic means and shall be completed and submitted by the
voter as provided in this section. Upon receipt of a request for an
accessible mail-in ballot from a voter with a disability, the county clerk
shall verify that the voter is registered to vote and is eligible to vote
in the State and the county. If the voter is eligible to vote therein, the
county clerk shall send the accessible mail-in ballot to the voter by
electronic means using the telephone number or electronic address supplied
by the voter for that purpose.

     b.    The accessible mail-ballot shall contain features to enable a
voter with a disability to understand the contents of the ballot, mark up
the voter’s selections on the ballot, make any desired changes, verify that
the marked-up ballot accurately reflects the voter’s selections, complete
the ballot, and print a copy of the completed ballot and any other
necessary materials to submit the ballot to the county board of elections
by regular mail, hand delivery, using a ballot drop box, or by electronic
means if the voter is “electronic return eligible” as provided under
subsection d. of this section. Key features of the accessible mail-in
ballot shall include, but may not be limited to:

     (1) electronic delivery of and access to the ballot and related
materials;

     (2) readability of the ballot using an electronic interface that
provides guided prompts that enunciate the contents of the ballot to the
voter;

     (3) ability to electronically mark the ballot reflecting the voter’s
selections, and to reflect any changes made by the voter to those
selections;

     (4) confirmation of the voter’s selections prior to final completion
of the marked-up ballot;

     (5) ability to print the ballot and related materials as provided
under subsection c. of this section immediately upon completion, or to
generate an electronic file containing those materials for printing and
submitting to the county board of elections at a later date;

     (6) ability to return the ballot by electronic means if the voter is
“electronic return eligible” as provided under subsection d. of this
section;

     (7) clear and comprehensive instructions for the voter to follow in
completing and submitting the ballot; and

     (8) any additional features deemed necessary by the Secretary of
State, in consultation with county clerks and county boards of elections.

     c.     After the accessible mail-ballot is received and completed by
the voter by indicating the voter’s choice of candidates for the offices
named or the voter’s choice regarding a public question, or both, the
ballot and related materials shall be printed, unless the voter is eligible
to return the ballot by electronic means as provided under subsection d. of
this section. Along with the completed ballot, the printed materials shall
include any materials necessary for submitting the voted ballot, including
an inner envelope for inserting the ballot, the certificate of mail-in
voter attached to the inner envelope, any disability certificate that may
be required, and a pre-addressed postage pre-paid outer envelope for
mailing the completed ballot and materials to the county board of
elections. The voter shall be instructed to place the completed ballot in
the secure inner envelope and seal that envelope, sign the certificate of
mail-in voter and any disability certificate that may be required, and
place all of those materials in the outer envelope and seal that envelope.
The voter shall submit the sealed envelope to the appropriate county board
of elections in any manner authorized under P.L.2009, c.79 (C.19:63-1 et
seq.) by regular mail, hand delivery, or by ballot drop box.

     d.    Notwithstanding any provision of subsection c. of this section
to the contrary, a voter who is “electronic return eligible” shall be
permitted to return the mail-in ballot by electronic means. As used in this
subsection, “electronic return eligible” means a voter who, regardless of
any other disability:

     (1) is blind;

     (2) has a visual impairment or perceptual or reading disability that
cannot be improved to give visual function substantially equivalent to that
of a person who has no such impairment or disability and therefore is
unable to read or mark a ballot to substantially the same degree as a
person without an impairment or disability; or

     (3) is otherwise unable, through physical disability, to hold, mark,
or manipulate a ballot or to focus or move the eyes to the extent that
would be normally acceptable for reading or marking a ballot.

     e.     The Secretary of State, in consultation with county clerks and
county boards of elections, shall issue uniform guidelines for all election
officials to follow in the implementation of the provisions of this section.

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

     This bill requires the availability of an accessible mail-in ballot
for voters with disabilities.

     Under current law, registered voters may apply to vote by mail and may
receive a mail-in ballot to be completed by hand. Although the law
prohibits any person other than the voter to complete the ballot, the law
allows persons who need assistance in completing the mail-in ballot to have
a family member provide them that assistance.

     Under this bill, the county clerk would be required to provide an
accessible mail-in ballot for any voter with a disability that requests
one, provided the voter is registered to vote and is entitled to vote in
that county in this State. The bill requires the accessible mail-ballot to
contain features to enable a voter with a disability to understand the
contents of the ballot, mark-up voting choices, make changes, verify the
final voting choices made on the ballot, complete the ballot, and print the
completed ballot and related materials such as certificates and envelopes.
The bill specifies key features of the accessible mail-in ballot. These
would include, but would not be limited to, electronic delivery and access;
readability with guided audible prompts; ability to mark the ballot
reflecting the voter’s selections; confirmation of the voter’s selections
prior to final completion; ability to print the ballot and related
materials or to generate an electronic file for printing and submitting to
the county board of elections at a later date; ability to return the ballot
by electronic means if the voter is eligible to do so; clear and
comprehensive instructions; and any additional features deemed necessary.

     Upon completion, the voter would then submit their ballot and
necessary materials by mail, in person, or using a ballot drop box in the
manner provided under current law. If the voter is “electronic return
eligible,” the voter would be permitted to return the mail-in ballot by
electronic means. Under the bill, “electronic return eligible” means a
voter who, regardless of any other disability: is blind; has a visual
impairment or perceptual or reading disability that cannot be improved to
give visual function substantially equivalent to that of a person who has
no such impairment or disability and therefore is unable to read or mark a
ballot to substantially the same degree as a person without an impairment
or disability; or is otherwise unable, through physical disability, to
hold, mark, or manipulate a ballot or to focus or move the eyes to the
extent that would be normally acceptable for reading or marking a ballot.

     Finally, the Secretary of State, in consultation with county clerks
and county boards of elections, is directed to issue uniform guidelines for
election officials to follow for implementing the accessible ballot
provisions.

Warmly,
Linda Melendez, President
National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey
908-590-1747
president at nfbnj.org
*www.nfbnj.org* <http://www.nfbnj.org/>
*Facebook: **https://m.facebook.com/NFB-NJ-353099574776238*
<https://m.facebook.com/NFB-NJ-353099574776238>

To schedule a 30-minute meeting about the National Federation of the Blind
of New Jersey please click on the link below
https://calendly.com/nfbnj/30min
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