[NFBWATlk] Alarming Voting News

Sun Oct 25 23:57:48 UTC 2020

Hi Humberto,
The signature requirement is a problem for many people. We will definitely be discussing this at our state convention next month. Having some kind of online, 2-factor authentication instead of a written signature would be one solution. This is actually a big enough issue for voters (not just blind voters) that there is a process that political parties and other groups have organized efforts to help folks resolve current signature problems. It’s called ‘ballot curing’. It’s like what we are doing here but on a bigger level. Voters whose ballots have been rejected because of a signature issue or other issues are contacted and provided with assistance (advocacy) to help them resolve the problem so that their ballots can be counted.

Each voter must decide on the safest method for them. I will say that I have voted twice this year at the elections office using the accessible voting machines and they were very good about cleaning and disinfecting everything in between voters. All voters were required to wear masks and the election workers made sure everyone stayed 6 feet apart.

Regarding Judy’s recommendation, the only place any voter can obtain an official ballot to vote in a federal, state or local election is from their county elections office. All elections are run by the county offices and the Secretary of State’s office for each state. Political parties and other organizations do not distribute official ballots. They do often have a list of candidates that their party is endorsing and voters can obtain that from a party office.

These are all important issues. It is vital that voters get accurate information about how, when and where to vote. We will definitely be continuing access for blind voters at our  convention.

Marci

Sent from Marci's iPhone

> On Oct 24, 2020, at 9:13 PM, Judy Jones via NFBWATlk <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> The only ways around all this I can see is to solicit an absentee ballot from your party headquarters, which is too late to do now.  These are different from the ubiquitous mail-in ballots, as you are contacting your party headquarters directly, asking for the ballot.
> 
> This is a safer method, and, not sure about this, but as they would have a record of you voting the way they do it, may accept the signature, not sure.  I haven't ran into the signature issue in my life yet, so this is an excellent question to ask for next time.
> 
> Judy
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NFBWATlk <nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Humberto Avila via NFBWATlk
> Sent: Saturday, October 24, 2020 6:48 PM
> To: 'NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List' <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: humberto_avila.it104 at outlook.com
> Subject: Re: [NFBWATlk] Alarming Voting News
> 
> Hello Ben,
> 
> Yes, this is definitely a piece of very, very much disturbing news. 
> 
> Now, I live in an apartment all on my own. And let's say that I was eligible to vote, and actually filled in my electronic ballot, or whatever is that makes it accessible, and then printed it out. Then, let's say I input my signature using AIRA or whatever service I choose to use with my own signature guide. Then I dropped off my signed ballot, and everything is secured.
> 
> Granted, I wouldn't have any sort of true sighted assistance to see if my signature really matches up with what they have on file, no matter how closely and how faithfully I try to do my chicken scratches on the hard copy signature page. And no matter how lined up my guide is to the page even if an AIRA agent sort of were able to help me. 
> 
> And even if I had to actually go in person to sign my vote with a machine... that wouldn't be very safe in today's health crisis times. At least, I wouldn't feel safe. 
> 
> I would absolutely feel very discouraged from voting if I am going to have all these accessibility challenges at once. Yes, very much discouraged. This is #BlindVoterSuppression. 
> 
> Unless some blindness AT vendor tries to come up with a signature tracing pad technology, where I input a signature into it and helps me re-trrace it with a pen, is that something the NFB of Washington can advocate so the laws around signatures could change? Has the NFB done that in the past?
> 
> I'm very much deeply passionate about accessibility issues myself. I see a lot of inaccessibility every day in my job. Specifically since the start of the pandemic.
> 
> I just wanted to speak my mind a little bit... and offer my two cents. 
> 
> Hope everyone has an awesome weekend.
> 
> Take care,
> 
> Humberto
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NFBWATlk <nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Lauren Merryfield via NFBWATlk
> Sent: Saturday, October 24, 2020 11:48 AM
> To: NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Lauren Merryfield <lauren7877 at outlook.com>
> Subject: Re: [NFBWATlk] Alarming Voting News
> 
> Hi, Bennett (I like that name) 
> Ben,
> Thanks for letting us know.
> Lauren❤
> How old are your girls now and what are they doing? I remember when they were born!
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NFBWATlk <nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Bennett Prows via NFBWATlk
> Sent: Saturday, October 24, 2020 8:43 AM
> To: Marci Carpenter via NFBWATlk <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Bennett Prows <bjprows at comcast.net>
> Subject: [NFBWATlk] Alarming Voting News
> 
> Hi Listers,
> 
> I have some disturbing news. I had my ballot in the drop box near my apartment last Sunday, as did the rest of my family. On Thursday, my daughters went on line to the King County elections web site, and checked to make sure all our votes were in. They found that all of our ballots were in, but only mine was *rejected. My signature didn’t match the signature they have on file for me. The notice said the county elections folks would reach out to me, but that I could fill out the signature form, and either send it in or upload and email it. Since I haven’t heard from them, that’s what I’m going to do today. 
> 
> I strongly recommend that you the listers here, make sure to check the election web site, or call the telephone number in your area that will get you the information about tracking your ballot. I’m so glad my daughters checked. I will somehow get my vote counted, even if I have to ultimately go to an election center and use a machine.
> 
> Please remember to vote!
>   Sent from Mail for Windows 10/s/Bennett Prows                                
> 
> 
> 
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