[Mt-blind] VOTING MACHINES

Fri Feb 16 17:34:48 CST 2007

A couple of comments:

*  All Montana voting places used the same machines -- the Automark.
This because HAVA discussions began under Bob Brown when he was
Secretary of State in Montana, and Myrle Tompkins served on the
committee that discussed and reviewed various machines.

*  Not all machines out there print ballots, as does the Automark.

*  The Automark has nonvisual access, in compliance with HAVA, and
access for touch screen and use of other accessibility devices, such
as "puff-and-sip" switches for folks with quadreplegia.  This is in
contrast to items mentioned in the report Jerry forwarded.

*  The article mentions a voting machine that is not used in Montana,
but it illustrates some of the problems and frustrations other blind
voters had this last election.

*  In some states and locations, the votes of blind citizens and other
citizens were segregated from the votes of everyone else because they
did not have voting machines that produced a printed ballot when
finished, as the Automark Montana uses does.

*  Montana had an Automark in every local poll, though I'm told that
the Missoula County Courthouse didn't have one!

Finally, on the matter of PDF documents, Joy is completely right --
PDF files can be read by screen readers only if they are constructed
correctly in the first place.  Ironically, I did go to look at the
Oregon elections web site to read about their mail ballot.  I found no
mention of accessibility, blind voters or disability at all.  So, I
tried to open the voters' manual, which was a PDF.  I found it to be
inaccessible.  Not much encouragement there!

Dan

On 2/16/07, James Aldrich <jkaldrich at qwest.net> wrote:
> Hello Jerry and list,
>
> I was able to find and read this report with my screen reader.  I would
> think both major screen readers could read this report so long as one has an
> up to date copy of the adobe reader installed.  One must have the Adobe
> Reader 7.0 or higher installed in their PC.
>
> I for one would like a more balanced report than this one.  They seem to be
> relying on the opinion of one person's electronic genius  No doubt Mr.
> Ronyon's achievements were notable in their time but his Audapter speech
> system has gone the way of the dinosaur since it was used with Dos speech
> access systems.  Some of those programs which were used with his system have
> gone that way as well with the exception of today's leading screen readers.
> I think he has gone in a different direction when going into medical access
> fields.  I for one would want to hear from someone who is currently in the
> speech access field to get a broader report of what is actually happening!
>
> I think too the organizations represented are pushing their agenda and
> interests more than they are reflecting our concerns.  Some want these
> machines to be everything to everybody and this isn't possible!  We use the
> Automark machines here so I'll be interested in reading what that report has
> to say.  I of course would say people should be fluent in English before
> they can have the right to vote but that's my not so humble politically
> incorrect opinion.  Is our legislature taking this report seriously?  If so,
> I have some writing to do!  Who should I be writing to?
>
> I of course need to take more time to read this report but that's what
> jumped out at me thus far!
>
> Thanks for the link!
>
> Jim Aldrich
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jerry Hutch" <modrepro at mt.net>
> To: "Montana Association for the Blind List" <mt-blind at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, February 16, 2007 1:25 PM
> Subject: Re: [Mt-blind] VOTING MACHINES
>
>
> I am not sure if this would help but the full text of this report can be
> found at the following link.  The problem is that the report is
> presented as a .pdf file.  Most screen readers can can not read .pdf
> files.
>
> Here is the link to the reprt.  http://www.voteraction.org/   It is the
> first report listed there and there is a hypertext link after the  brief
> description that says "read  report here"  click on that link and the
> .pdf file will come up
>
>
>
>  dmgina wrote:
>
> >Hi there,
> >I would keep what we are using.
> >We can't let anything become an excuse for us not to keep voting.
> >If machines need to be fixed so be it.
> >It wouldn't be the first machine that broke.
> >We know that nothing was on the machine while we were voting.
> >The votes went threw and were counted with the rest when counting was being
> >added up for the day.
> >I am not sure why this article is so important.
> >At first, the first time, the machine didn't do the whole ballad.
> >But the second time it worked like a charm.
> >Keep encouraging blind folks to vote.
> >It is a step that is a thrill the first time it happens.
> >
> >
> >--Dar
> >wishing a
> >backTpack
> >call me at
> >406-259-1124
> >Every Saint has a past,
> >Every sinner has a future ,
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Jerry Hutch" <modrepro at mt.net>
> >To: "Montana Association for the Blind List" <mt-blind at nfbnet.org>
> >Sent: Friday, February 16, 2007 12:47 PM
> >Subject: [Mt-blind] VOTING MACHINES
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >>Dan and the list,
> >>
> >>Here is a message about voting machines and their problems that I have
> >>received by email.  This is for your information.
> >>
> >>OpEd News, PA, USA
> >>Wednesday, February 14, 2007
> >>
> >>"Daily Voting News" For February 14, 2007
> >>
> >>By JGideon
> >>John Gideon of VotersUnite.org
> >>
> >>According to a new report issued by VoterAction and Demos, "Direct
> >>Recording Electronic (DRE) voting machines, once considered essential to
> >>ensuring private and independent voting booth access for voters with
> >>disabilities, often do not work as promised, according to a new report
> >>published today.
> >>
> >>Authored by access technology expert Noel Runyan and published by election
> >>reform groups Demos and Voter Action, "Improving Access to Voting: A
> >>Report on the Technology for Accessible Voting Systems" shows that, due to
> >>inadequate or malfunctioning voting machines, voters with disabilities are
> >>frequently forced to ask for assistance or compromise the privacy of their
> >>vote- severe violations of federal disability accommodation requirements.
> >>
> >>The report details significant difficulties for voters with disabilities,
> >>including: the lack of a controllable interface for those who are unable
> >>to use touch screens or tactile key inputs; inadequate audio access
> >>features for people with visual or cognitive impairments, with dyslexia,
> >>or with severe motor-impairments; and lack of privacy curtains to prevent
> >>others from reading the voters' selections on their visual displays. "I
> >>originally had high hopes for the new voting machines" said Noel Runyan,
> >>the author of the report.
> >>
> >>Runyan, who is blind, is a professional electrical engineer who has spent
> >>much of his career developing access technologies for people with visual
> >>impairments. "Even with my technical background and the help of poll
> >>workers, I could not get the Sequoia Edge II DRE to work. I have since
> >>tested most of the available voting systems at conferences and at the
> >>National Federation of the Blind's accessible voting systems lab, and my
> >>fears have been confirmed: Most of the DREs deployed were not designed
> >>with real disability access in mind.""...
> >>
> >>
> >>http://www.opednews.com/articles/ge
> >>
>
>
>
> >>nera_jgideon_070214__daily_voting_news__.htm
> >>
> >>--
> >>BlindNews mailing list
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
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> >
> >
> >
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> >>
> >>
> >>
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