[NFBNJ] Critical Call to Action Required on Accessible Voting Bill S3302

[Linda Melendez]

Greetings all,


Last week I reported NJ Accessible Voting Bill A4647 passed Legislative and
Appropriations committees and was introduced by Senator Madden and referred
to the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation
Committee. This bill may be on their calendar for a vote as early as March
16. Link to download and review bill below.

https://legiscan.com/NJ/text/S3302/id/2611897/New_Jersey-2022-S3302-Introduced.html



Issue:

Several groups will be opposing this bill, in particular the electronic
return portion. This portion of the bill is critical and must be included
and why we need a massive call to action!


Solution:

Each one of us must email and/or call each committee member to advocate and
educate on the importance of why NJ needs an Accessible Voting Bill to
include Electronic Delivery and Return. Share with them your personal
experiences, barriers and the discriminations you face. How we are unable
to vote independently and privately which lead to many of us being excluded
from our democratic voting processes. It is critical for them to know how
many of us do not vote and do not have access to independent and private
voting.


Also, 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 do the same.

Without our collective action this bill will not pass therefore, taking
away the next step for a full vote on passing an Accessible Bill. Now is
the time for action and your voices to be heard. This bill will change what
it means to be blind in New Jersey.  Can we count on you to do your part? I
hope so!


Along with your personal stories you may wish to include some of the
following points:

For starters, 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 delivery:


   - Many blind voters do not own a printer; therefore, ballots must be
   downloaded and taken somewhere for printing. This process takes away our
   independence and privacy.
   - Even if a printer is owned, there is no verification that what is
   printed is correct which requires sighted assistance again compromising
   privacy of the ballot.
   - Having to provide a signature is problematic as it may require sighted
   assistance.
   - Electronic Ballot Return provides alternatives to signature matching.

   - Lack of accessible or affordable transportation to voting polls.
   - Physical mobility restrictions to get to voting polls and use
   accessible hardware at voting polls.
   - Limited or no safe pedestrian walkways
   - And possible inclement weather conditions


Security Points:


   - The accessible electronic ballot technologies envisioned in this bill
   have undergone stringent application and code reviews at the State and
   federal levels and have had over 200 independent cybersecurity experts
   review the technology. The current electronic ballot system used in New
   Jersey (fax and email) have had no security reviews.
   - Most recently, the State of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Indiana and
   North Carolina deployed electronic ballot return. Accessible electronic
   return has been deployed in over 1,500 elections since 2019, with zero
   compromised.
   - Many voters who are blind, or have other disabilities do not own
   printers, or cannot use a printer. The current procedure in New Jersey
   requires voters who have a disability to either purchase a printer. A
   federal judge in North Carolina ruled that requiring a voter to purchase a
   piece of hardware (a printer) is equivalent to a poll tax. The federal
   judge ruled in favor of the plaintiff and mandated electronic return.
   - 31 states, including New Jersey, already offer electronic ballot
   return. The problem in New Jersey is the current form of electronic return
   is in the form of a fax machine, or email attachment. This bill is an
   upgrade to our elections security in that it will increase security for
   electronic ballot transmission.

Committee Member Contact Information

Senator Beach
856-429-1572
senbeach at njleg.org


Senator Gopal
732-695-3371
sengopal at njleg.org


Senator Holzapfel
732-840-9028
enholzapfel at njleg.org <senholzapfel at njleg.org>


Senator Polistina
609-677-8266
senpolistina at njleg.org


Senator Turner
609-323-7239
senturner at njleg.org


Again, please do your part bysharing far and wide and contacting each
committee member in favor of passing this bill.



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



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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