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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Greetings,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>This is a reminder that we need your help to get voting rights updated here in Iowa. Yes, we have been working on this for some time now but we do have an opportunity to make a difference. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>The Department Of Justice is willing to help us but these voting issues to a rest. For them to help us they need examples of things that have happened to blind persons when they have voted in the past. I know some of our members have sent in their comments and we all thank you for that.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Are we making progress on this issue? Yes, we certainly are. This past week the Iowa Secretary Of State, Paul Pate, hosted a meeting of Secretaries of State here in Des Moines to discuss voting. One of the major topics on that agenda was remote voting and its accessibility for blind persons. Secretary Pate must be thanked for taking this step. Hopefully good things will come out of the meeting.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Still, we need to get as many examples as possible into the national office so that a complaint may be filed with Department of Justice. Below is the email that I sent in on this subject. I think it shows that you don’t need to be fancy, you just need to let them know what your experiences are. If you need help putting something together contact any of the officers of the NFBI or myself and we will help where we can. If you email something in you might also CC it to <o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><a href="mailto:Svangorp@NFBI.ORG">Svangorp@NFBI.ORG</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Thanks for your efforts. If you already done this thank you again.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Bob Ray<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b> <a href="mailto:rjray@q.com">rjray@q.com</a> <a href="mailto:rjray@q.com">rjray@q.com</a> <br><b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Wednesday, July 21, 2021 5:46 PM<br><b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> <a href="mailto:vyingling@nfb.org">vyingling@nfb.org</a><br><b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Cc:</span></b> 'Scott Van Gorp' <a href="mailto:svangorp@nfbi.org">svangorp@nfbi.org</a><br><b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Voting Issues In Iowa<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>In recent years I have encountered various difficulties in exercising my right to vote. Below are a list of events that have occurred.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>First in 2014 when we went to our regular precinct polling we were told that the accessible voting machine was not working and no one knew how to fix it. We then had to ask our driver to fill out our ballots. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Next, in 2016 when we went to our precinct polling place we were told that the accessible machine was not turned on and they didn’t know how to initialize it. We insisted that they find out while we waited. They called the election headquarters and were instructed in the booting process. An hour and a half later we were able to vote and went on our way.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>In 2018 both for the primary election and the general election we decided to take the voting early option down at the Polk County Election Office in Des Moines. That way we were confident that someone would know how to set the machine up for us if it wasn’t already. There were however two new problems that occurred. First, Polk County had purchased new voting machines and the speech was not clear on them and the ballots they produced were a different size than the ones that the other machines were producing so that our votes had to be counted separately.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>In 2020 I did not vote in the primary but for the General Election I chose to do an absentee ballot. Once more I had to have a reader fill the form out and help me sign it before I could mail it back. Once more denying my right to a secret ballot. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Thank you.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Robert J. Ray<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>3900 76 Street<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Urbandale, IA 50322<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Phone: 515 334-7231<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p></div></body></html>