Past Vote Project News

EXCITING NEWS FROM PROJECT VOTE

SEPTEMBER 2013

Testimony to the Presidential Commission on Electoral Administration

Duke Energy Convention Center, Cincinnati, OH

September 20, 2013

Hello. My name is Diana Mairose from Cincinnati, OH. I work at the Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities Services as an advocate for people with disabilities. I have been a faithful voter since 2000.

For the 2012 Election I worked with the national self advocacy organization for people with developmental disabilities, Self Advocates Becoming Empowered, to interview people with disabilities about their voting experience. What we learned from voters was that “having a disability is not the problem with voting, it is having the accessible equipment, accessible locations, and the respect to do so!”

Best practices for voters with a disability should be the same as any other voter in the country.

Let’s begin with “accessible equipment”; it would become “universal equipment”. All voters across the United States would use same type of equipment that every voter in the country would use at the voting precinct. Why?

•Poll workers would be able to easily support voters because only one type of equipment would be used. Right now many of the poll workers do not know how to use the accessible equipment.

•Voters who require “accessible equipment” would not have to be singled out and taken to a “special area” to use piece of equipment that even most poll workers do not know how to use.

•Most universal changes such as in housing, work places, etc. have benefited people with and without disabilities.

•Therefore, the best practice I recommend is to use the Prime III voting system developed by Clemson University. I have used this system and I love it! It is easier to read and understand.

Secondly, there are accessible voting locations scattered all over the country but there are just not enough of them. Here in Hamilton County we have worked closely with Amy Searcy, Director of the Hamilton County Board of Elections, to make sure voting locations meet the Department of Justice regulations for accessibility.

•When a voting location is identified it must meet the accessibility standards outlined by the Department of Justice.

•Existing locations should be brought up to meet these standards as stated in Help America Vote Act.

•In my opinion, if a location is not 100% accessible and in the process of improvement, voters should be told where the accessible entrance locations might be, parking, etc. when they arrive at the voting location.

•Therefore, the best practice I recommend is to have a worker outside the location who can direct/assist voters who require additional and/or different supports to make sure that their experience is a positive one. These workers would be paid and work 3-4 hour shifts unlike the poll workers who work the entire day.

Most poll workers respect and care about the voting experiences of all voters but there are some who are not comfortable, thus seem disrespectful to the voter, when assisting a voter with a disability to vote.

•Poll worker training must be reviewed to insure that all poll workers receive at least “one hour” of training on how to effectively work with voters who have any disability.

•The training should be done by people with disabilities and include role playing and hands on use of the accessible equipment.

•Therefore the best practice I recommend is that every precinct has an assigned poll worker to assist people using accessible equipment. This would not be needed if the same type of equipment is used by everyone, thus being a more effective use of funding.

In summary, why make voting different for different people. Why not make voting the same for every citizen. In this way, we could answer my opening statement, “having a disability is not the problem with voting, it is having the accessible equipment, accessible locations, and the respect to do so!”

Thank you for your time and giving me the opportunity to speak to you today.

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EXCITING NEWS FROM PROJECT VOTE

AUGUST 2013

• The Project Vote Toolkit is now available for free download on the Vote Toolkit page.
• 2012 Election Day Survey report is now available.
• Like us on Facebook

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FREE Project Vote! Webinar about Voting Technology.

Hosted by SABE’s National Technical Assistance Center for Voting and Cognitive Access

Thursday, September 26, 2013

10:30am to 12pm Pacific Time

11:30am to 1pm Mountain Time

12:30pm to 2pm Central Time

1:30pm to 3pm Eastern Time

Registration information will be comming soon.

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MICHELLE BISHOP – Disability Advocacy Specialist for Voting Rights

Michelle joined the NDRN staff in July 2013. As Disability Advocacy

Specialist for Voting Rights, she provides training and technical

assistance to the P&A network regarding voting rights and access for

voters with disabilities, coordinates the Voting Working Group, and

manages the voting listserv. Previously, Michelle worked as the Assistant

Director of Public Policy & Advocacy at Paraquad Center for Independent

Living in St. Louis, where she led their voting rights and GOTV activities

for eight years. The NTAC for Voting and Cognitive Access is pleased to welcome Michelle to the team.

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Presidential Commission on Election Administration Public Meeting

September 19, 2013, from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Duke Energy Convention Center, located at 525 Elm St, Cincinnati, OH 45202.

The meeting, which will be open to the public, will consist of three sessions. From 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM, Juan Gilbert from Clemson University will demonstrate their voting technology. Commissioners and anyone else in attendance will have an opportunity at that time to visit their booth/table. Then, from 10 AM to noon the Commission will hold a public meeting in which the vendors will each have five minutes to present their views on the future of voting technology. This will be followed by a question and answer session with the Commission, as well as several technologists and election officials. After a lunch break that will end at 1:00 PM, we will meet again from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM to hear presentations from the technologists and election officials.

EXCITING NEWS FROM PROJECT VOTE

JULY 2013

• The Project Vote Toolkit is now available for free download on the Vote Toolkit page.
• 2012 Election Day Survey report is now available.
• Like us on Facebook

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FREE Project Vote! Webinar about Election Day Survey Results.

Hosted by SABE’s National Technical Assistance Center for Voting and Cognitive Access

Thursday, June 13, 2013

10:30am to 12pm Pacific Time

11:30am to 1pm Mountain Time

12:30pm to 2pm Central Time

1:30pm to 3pm Eastern Time

Panel Discusses: SABE and NDRN worked together to create a short Election Day checklist that was used to interview people with disabilities duing the 2012 election.

Join us to learn what the checklist results tell us about the voting experiences of individuals with disabilities.

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2012 Election Day Checklist Report

Very little information is known about the voting experiences of voters with disabilities. There are many personal stories about experiences but very little information about the group as a whole. Congress needs this type of information in order to continue to support the Help America Vote Act which has made it easier for people with disabilities to cast a ballot privatly and independently.

During the 2012 election SABE’s National Technical Assistance Center for Voting and Cognitive Access with the support of P&As, LEND Programs, and Self Advocacy groups conducted an Election Day Checklist with 164 voters with disabilities. Click here to see the results of this survey.

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Tia Nelis, Nancy Ward, and Essie Pederson will be presenting two workshops at the NDRN Conference in Baltimore MD. Check back here for copies of their presentations.

EXCITING NEWS FROM PROJECT VOTE

JUNE 2013

• The Project Vote Toolkit is now available for free download on the Vote Toolkit page.
• 2012 Election Day Survey report is now available.
• Like us on Facebook

______________________________________________________________

FREE Project Vote! Webinar about Election Day Survey Results.

Hosted by SABE’s National Technical Assistance Center for Voting and Cognitive Access

Thursday, June 13, 2013

10:30am to 12pm Pacific Time

11:30am to 1pm Mountain Time

12:30pm to 2pm Central Time

1:30pm to 3pm Eastern Time

Panel Discusses: SABE and NDRN worked together to create a short Election Day checklist that was used to interview people with disabilities duing the 2012 election.

Join us to learn what the checklist results tell us about the voting experiences of individuals with disabilities.

______________________________________________________________

2012 Election Day Checklist Report

Very little information is known about the voting experiences of voters with disabilities. There are many personal stories about experiences but very little information about the group as a whole. Congress needs this type of information in order to continue to support the Help America Vote Act which has made it easier for people with disabilities to cast a ballot privatly and independently.

During the 2012 election SABE’s National Technical Assistance Center for Voting and Cognitive Access with the support of P&As, LEND Programs, and Self Advocacy groups conducted an Election Day Checklist with 164 voters with disabilities. Click here to see the results of this survey.

______________________________________________________________

Tia Nelis, Nancy Ward, and Essie Pederson will be presenting two workshops at the NDRN Conference in Baltimore MD. Check back here for copies of their presentations.

EXCITING NEWS FROM PROJECT VOTE

MAY 2013

• The Project Vote Toolkit is now available for free download on the Vote Toolkit page.
• June 13th Webinar on voting day surveys is scheduled.
• 2012 Election Day Survey report is now available.

______________________________________________________________

2012 Election Day Checklist Report

Very little information is known about the voting experiences of voters with disabilities. There are many personal stories about experiences but very little information about the group as a whole. Congress needs this type of information in order to continue to support the Help America Vote Act which has made it easier for people with disabilities to cast a ballot privatly and independently.

During the 2012 election SABE’s National Technical Assistance Center for Voting and Cognitive Access with the support of P&As, LEND Programs, and Self Advocacy groups conducted an Election Day Checklist with 164 voters with disabilities. Click here to see the results of this survey.

______________________________________________________________

FREE Project Vote! Webinar about Election Day Survey Results.

Hosted by SABE’s National Technical Assistance Center for Voting and Cognitive Access

Thursday, June 13, 2013

10:30am to 12pm Pacific Time

11:30am to 1pm Mountain Time

12:30pm to 2pm Central Time

1:30pm to 3pm Eastern Time

Panel Discusses: SABE and NDRN worked together to create a short Election Day checklist that was used to interview people with disabilities duing the 2012 election.

Join us to learn what the checklist results tell us about the voting experiences of individuals with disabilities.

______________________________________________________________

On April 23rd Nancy Ward, NTAC Staff, testified to the National Council on Disability about voting accessibility. Click here to read Nancy’s testimony. Click here to read the testimony from the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN).

Watch this video of her speaking about the prime 3 voting system that was used at the SABE National Self Advocacy Conference.

EXCITING NEWS FROM PROJECT VOTE

APRIL 2013

• The Project Vote Toolkit is now available for free download on the Vote Toolkit page.
• June 13th Webinar on voting day surveys is scheduled.
• 2012 Election Day Survey report is now available.

______________________________________________________________

2012 Election Day Checklist Report

Very little information is known about the voting experiences of voters with disabilities. There are many personal stories about experiences but very little information about the group as a whole. Congress needs this type of information in order to continue to support the Help America Vote Act which has made it easier for people with disabilities to cast a ballot privatly and independently.

During the 2012 election SABE’s National Technical Assistance Center for Voting and Cognitive Access with the support of P&As, LEND Programs, and Self Advocacy groups conducted an Election Day Checklist with 164 voters with disabilities. Click here to see the results of this survey.

______________________________________________________________

On April 23rd Nancy Ward, NTAC Staff, will testify to the National Council on Disability about voting accessibilty. Watch this video of her speaking about the prime 3 voting system that was used at the SABE National Self Advocacy Conference.

Click here to read the testimony from the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN).

______________________________________________________________

EXCITING NEWS FROM PROJECT VOTE

MARCH 2013

Project Vote! and SABE have BIG Plans for the Future

Help us celebrate over 10 years of Project Vote! Many of you worked with us to educate people with disabilities in your state about their voting rights and responsibilities, and the power of their vote.

Did you attend an official Project Vote! training and receive a certificate for completing the training? If you did your state needs your help. As a certified trainer you can share with potential voters the excitement of voting using the fun, interactive toolkit, slides, videos and handouts.

SABE and Project Vote! team wants to stay connected with you for possible activities in the future, please fill in the contact information form.

The first box on the form is for SABE. SABE needs complete information; name, address including your state, home and cell phone numbers, and email.

The second box on the form is for Project Vote! If you want to be listed as a Project Vote! Certified Trainer we need your name, state and email address or phone number for the website. Others can call or email you to be part of their voting activities. Please click on this link to fill in the complete contact form information. Then email the completed form to [email protected]

You will be responsible to up date information for SABE and the website.

EXCITING NEWS FROM PROJECT VOTE

2012

SABE’s Project Vote Team interviewed 164 self advocates using an Interview Checklist from six states (Ohio, Georgia, Arizona, Oklahoma, Illinois, and Colorado) about their voting experience last November. The purpose of the interviews was to determine, from the voter’s perspective, if they were able to cast a private and independent ballot on Election Day. Information from the Checklist was gathered three ways: 1) at polling locations on Election Day; 2) locations where large groups of people with disabilities gather; and 3) by telephone interviews. The interviews were conducted by people with disabilities matched with a community volunteer of their choice. All interviewers were trained on how to use the Checklist.

• 12% of the voters said they had problems entering the polling location.
• 7% of the voters said they did not have enough space to get around the voting room to register and use the voting equipment.
• 6% of the voters reported a lack of privacy when voting
• 8% of the voters considered the poll workers not helpful
• 10% of the voters were first time voters and 83% had voted in the past

li>The poll worker told a voter he could not have an assistant help him vote because he did not look like had a disability (IL).
• Voter asked to use accessible equipment to vote independently but the poll worker said no, he had a person with him, they can help him vote without using the equipment (OK).
• Voters had to go over curbs or make a long detour to enter the building (GA).
• The “ballot scanners” were blocked so people using a wheelchair could not scan their own ballots to secure the privacy of their vote (OH).

•Every state reported that none of the voting booths were placed lower so a person using a wheelchair could vote using them.

The complete Post 2012 Election Day Report with the findings can be found on the www.govoter.org website. The SABE Vote Team summarizes what they learned as: “having a disability is not the problem with voting, it is having the accessible equipment, accessible locations, and the respect to do so!”

Assisting the SABE Project Vote Team and volunteers, were representatives from each state’s P&A to help collect information and answer any Election Day questions, and the Cincinnati UCEDD trainees compiled the information gathered. SABE would like to thank all of the volunteers who interviewed voters, voters who so graciously agreed to be interviewed, the P&As for answering important questions and the Cincinnati UCEDD trainers for compiling the data but also for making recommendations for when you use the Interview Checklist again.