[Nfbnet-members-list] FW: National Federation of the Blind Applauds Affirmation of Ruling on Access to Absentee Ballots

[Kuhnke, Kristian]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Chris Danielsen
Director of Public Relations
National Federation of the Blind
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
<mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>cdanielsen at nfb.org


National Federation of the Blind Applauds Affirmation of Ruling on 
Access to Absentee Ballots



Baltimore, Maryland (February 9, 2016): The National Federation of 
the Blind, the nation's leading advocate for equal access to voting 
by the blind, today applauded a ruling by the United States Court of 
Appeals for the Fourth Judicial Circuit. The ruling in National 
Federation of the Blind et al. vs. Linda H. Lamone et al. upheld a 
<https://nfb.org/national-federation-blind-applauds-ruling-access-absentee-ballots>lower 
court ruling requiring the state of Maryland to make an accessible 
online ballot-marking tool available to blind voters who wished to 
vote by absentee ballot.

Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, 
said: "The right to vote is a fundamental one, and equal access to 
this right cannot and must not be denied to blind Americans. Today's 
ruling affirms that blind voters must have equal access to all 
methods of voting that are generally available to other voters, and 
that equal access means the ability to mark and cast our ballots 
privately and independently, without being forced to rely on 
assistance from others. This historic ruling protects the rights of 
the blind voters of Maryland, and sets the stage for full and equal 
access to voting by blind people across the nation."



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About the National Federation of the Blind

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




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