[nfbwatlk] Fw: Voting Anonymity

Sun Nov 5 15:52:12 CST 2006

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chris Danielsen" <christopher.danielsen at gmail.com>
To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, November 05, 2006 7:33 AM
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Voting Anonymity

Dear Fellow Federationists<

In the same vein as the message below, I want to call your attention to this
post from Voice of the Nation's Blind, the blog of the National Federation
of the Blind, regarding the NFB National HAVA Compliance Hotline.

Election Day

11/3/2006 10:40:00 AMTuesday, November 7, a mere four days away, is Election
Day.  As we have pointed out in the past, this election is the first since
the nonvisual access provisions of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) took
effect.  The National Federation of the Blind was instrumental in passing
this
provision of the HAVA, which requires that every polling place have at least
one voting machine that can be used independently by the blind.  Most
jurisdictions
now have such equipment in place.  News organizations have been taking
notice of the benefits the new equipment brings to the blind.  Today, we
found
this article
 in the Rocky Mountain News, featuring Federationists Scott LaBarre and Ray
and Dianne McGeorge.  Not all jurisdictions have implemented new voting
equipment
that is usable by the blind, and many are using such equipment for the first
time.  Although we hope that voting will go smoothly for most blind
Americans
on Tuesday, some problems can be expected owing to the new technology.  The
National Federation of the Blind wants to know if any blind voter encounters
a voting place that is noncompliant.  If you experience problems voting on
Election Day, please call The National Federation of the Blind HAVA National
Compliance Hotline at 1-877-632-1940.  (A handy way to remember the
toll-free number is that the digits 632 also spell out NFB on the telephone
keypad,
and the NFB was founded in 1940).  The National Federation of the Blind will
use the data collected to analyze how well implementation of HAVA is going,
and we will follow up on problems experienced by blind voters if it is
necessary to notify election officials or file a formal complaint with the
United
States Department of Justice.  The main purpose of the hotline is to report
voting problems, but if you want to tell us about a positive voting
experience,
you can
email VNB
, or drop a line to Jim McCarthy, the NFB's Director of Governmental
Affairs, at
jmccarthy at nfb.org
.  If you don't have Internet access, go ahead and give the hotline a call.
The line will be open from 7 a.m. - 10 p.m. on Election Day and during
normal
Federation business hours, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., on Wednesday, November 8.  After
the hotline closes, the best way to report problems is to email Jim McCarthy
or call him at 410-659-9314, extension 2207.  The VNB urges all readers who
are eligible to vote to do so on November 7.  It's important for every
American
to vote, and it's important for blind Americans to let election officials
know that we appreciate the ability to vote independently and in secret.

If the links in the above pasted post don't work, you can read the post
on-line by following this URL:
http://www.nfb.org/nfb/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=89&SnID=1263005911

Feel free to post this message or link to the Blog post on any
blindness-related list or group of which you are a member.

Thanks,

Chris Danielsen

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rumpole" <rumpole at gwi.net>
To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, November 03, 2006 8:36 AM
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Voting Anonymity

> Good morning everyone -
>
> I am pleased to hear how many people plan to vote using the Accessible
> voting system in their location.
> Like many here I will be voting using it and will have a secret ballot for
> the first time in over 30 years. I'm really looking forward to it.
>
> There are, as far as I know, at least 3 people on this list who are
> involved
> in the Help America Vote Act work as it applies to this election. I am one
> of those people.
> I would like to ask for those on this list who vote tuesday, to please
> either post their impressions of their voting experience here, or email me
> off list with their feedback.
> Whether it is good or bad, I'd like to hear what you have to say about it.
> The three prime areas I'd like your views on are 1. did you have any
> trouble getting into or out of the polling place? 2. did the voting system
> in your state or jurisdiction work as well as you thought it would - and
> if
> you have any suggestions on how to make it a bit better, please let me
> know
> that as well.
> And 3. did you have any difficulty at all with a pole worker or voting
> official?
>
> Some states reported that pole workers did not know that the new
> accessible
> voting systems are not strictly reserved for individuals with a
> disability -
> that anyone is welcome to use it. Many reports like that one stemmed from
> experiences gleemed during their primary election, and many states have
> taken those experiences to heart and spent a great deal of time educating
> their election officials about not only who is welcome to use the
> accessible
> voting system, but what is, and is not appropriate behavior and treatment
> of
> individuals with a disability.
>
> I do not wish to clog up the list with this request, so if you'd rather
> post
> to me off list, I would appreciate it.
>
> Ross A. Doerr Esquire
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "LockeMilholland" <lmilholland at hotmail.com>
> To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, November 02, 2006 4:07 PM
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Voting Anonymity
>
>
>>I voted today using an automark voting system for the first time.  The
>> screen faced the wall.  The system used a jaws program designed for
>> reading
>> ballots and allowing a five button interface to select candidates.  The
>> volume control was adjustable on the machine.  Listening was accomplished
>> using a headset.
>>
>>
>> For the first time in 13 years and the second time in my life, I voted
>> privately.
>>
>> I hope to get a job with one of the people I voted for, so it is one of
>> my
>> most informed and important elections.
>>
>> Locke
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "John Ramsey" <stephnjohnny211 at alltel.net>
>> To: <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Thursday, November 02, 2006 3:16 PM
>> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Voting Anonymity
>>
>>
>>> Hello Mark,
>>>
>>> Yes I did have a headset and the volume control was located in the
>>> speaker
>>> line. Also, I was instructed to cover the touch screen so that it could
>>> be
>>> viewed without my knowledge. I had a great voting experience and for
>>> once
>>> have found myself writing a positive review.
>>>
>>> Take care,
>>>
>>> John
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> blindlaw mailing list
>>> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw
>>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> blindlaw mailing list
>> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw
>>
>>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindlaw mailing list
> blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw

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