EAC - Voluntary Voting System Guidelines

Name : | Rucker Ashmore
Organization : | Adaptive Switch Laboratories, Inc.
Post Date : | 9/28/2005
Section Comments
Section : | 2.2.7.3
Page no. : |
Line no.: |
Comment : | April 19, 2005 Someone is missing the point if a Sip&Puff switch is going to be the access method for voting machines. There are many types of disabilities. Each disability has different switch capabilities. A Sip&Puff switch will benefit only those that have a high spinal cord injury. People with CP, ALS and MD cannot operate a Sip&Puff switch. Enabling the physical disabled population to vote will depend on software. You cannot navigate the ballot with a Sip&Puff switch or any other type of switch without proper software. Voting software should be able to start scanning the ballot with a single switch activation, another activation of the same switch should allow an individual to stop the ballot scan and make a selection (Vote). The software is what allows an individual to navigate the ballot and vote. A switch is only the access method and a switch MUST match the disabled persons capability. The industry standard is for all switches is for the switch to end into an 1/8 inch male mono plug. The disabled voting machine should have a 1/8 inch female port, plug any type of switch into this port and the person has access to the voting machine.