[Ohio-Talk] Voting Today

Tue Nov 3 19:17:36 UTC 2020

Hello,

I just got home from voting. It did not quite go as smooth as it did for some of you others. The poll workers were very nice and courteous, and wanted to be helpful. However, they had a very difficult time trying to figure out how to get the machine to start talking. I wasn’t sure how to help them either. I asked them if there was a button somewhere that said start or something along those lines, and they said they didn’t see anything. They said it should be talking, but it wasn’t. At this point the man in charge offered to read the ballot to me and help. I told him no, that we were going to figure this out. I said this is a brand new machine and it definitely should be working. It was just a matter of figuring out how to get it to do so. We looked around a little bit more, and once again he tried to insist that somebody read it to me. Again I insisted, that we would figure out how to get the machine to work. I said I really would like to vote independently, and I may not be the only blind person to come in to vote there today, and they needed to know how to work it. So, I was holding the handheld remote control device in my hands and started pressing buttons. Nothing happened at first. Then I found a button with braille HM on it. I asked if that was for a home key. Sounded to me like homemade something that should start. I pressed it and it began speaking. After that everything went very smoothly with no other problems.

So, I guess as long as we stick to her guns, and insist that they not just take the easy way out, that they learn how to use their machines, everything will be OK.

Annette

Annette Lutz
President
Capital Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio
614-288-4323
President.capital.nfboh at gmail.com

The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Everyday we raise the expectations of blind people because we know that low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want, blindness is not what holds you back. 

On Nov 3, 2020, at 1:07 PM, marianne denning via Ohio-Talk <ohio-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:

I voted earlier today and it all went very smoothly. We have new machines in Hamilton County and I like them much better than the old ones. The poll worker was helpful and courteous.

-----Original Message-----
From: Ohio-Talk <ohio-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of President Capital chapter via Ohio-Talk
Sent: Tuesday, November 3, 2020 11:45 AM
To: NFB of Ohio Announcement and Discussion List <ohio-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: President Capital chapter <president.capital.nfboh at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Ohio-Talk] Voting Today

Thank you. I am leaving in about an hour and a half to go vote. I am anxious to see what I find there, but I’m confident that we will Work it out and I’ll be able to cast my ballot independently. But, I know full well I wouldn’t be able to do so without the previous work of the national Federation of the blind.

Annette Lutz
President
Capital Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio
614-288-4323
President.capital.nfboh at gmail.com

The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Everyday we raise the expectations of blind people because we know that low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want, blindness is not what holds you back. 

On Nov 3, 2020, at 10:50 AM, Eric Duffy via Ohio-Talk <ohio-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:

I waited in line for about twenty minutes.  Once I got inside I was shown a machine. I put my ballot in the machine. The man who showed me to the machine then started to tell me my choices for President. I told him that I knew my choices, but that I needed the machine to talk. He said he was going to press Zoom. I told him he probably needed to press something that says audible ballot or audible ballot. The machine began to talk. I asked him where the keypad was, and he put my finger on the screen. I told him I need a physical keypad with buttons I could feel and press. He got another poll worker and they opened the machine and I was good to go. I  The man who assisted me then said he was glad I came in, because now he knows how the process is supposed to work for the next blind person who needs it. 

It would be nice if I didn’t have to walk them through the process, but they were willing to learn. Could all counties use more training around accessibility? I am sure they can. But, How many of us have volunteered to come in and do the training? I know I haven’t.

Eric
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