EAC - Voluntary Voting System Guidelines

Name : | Mike Barrios
Organization : | N/A
Post Date : | 9/30/2005
Section Comments
Section : | 2.2.7
Page no. : |
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Comment : | According to the 2000 Census, 20% of the people surveyed identified themselves as being disabled in California. With in mind the final design of an accessible voting system needs to address the wide range of disabilities our community embraces. The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) states that all Americans are to have access to a private and independent ballot. That means being able to read, mark and cast the ballot. In California, the Legislature has added a fourth action: independent verification of the ballot. All four actions are to be accessible to all voters, including those with disabilities. There are several technology barriers that prevent access to one or more of those four actions. When that happens, the civil rights of particular disability groups are violated. With the addition of the Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), a host of new access barriers issues could develop. [Statements submitted at EAC public hearing, July 28, 2005, Pasadena]