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www.michigan.gov (To Print: use your
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Release Date: May 02, 2006 |
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Contact:
(Media Contact)
Kelly Chesney 517-373-2520 |
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Agency:
Secretary of
State |
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Secretary Land introduces accessible equipment for voters with
disabilities |
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New system removes obstacles to voting,
advances independence Secretary of
State Terri Lynn Land introduced new voting equipment today in Lansing
designed to make casting a ballot an easier process for voters with
disabilities and advance their independence and privacy in the voting booth,
beginning with the August primary election. The equipment
allows voters who have a physical disability or are blind, visually impaired
or otherwise unable to mark a ballot in the usual way to do so on a special
voting system. Called an AutoMARK, it resembles a fax machine with a large
flip-up screen and attachments including headphones. At least one
of the voting systems will be available for use in each of the state’s
polling locations for the Aug. 8 primary election as a result of a contract
that is expected to be approved today by the State Administrative Board. The
devices complement Michigan’s optical scan voting system. "We are
at the beginning of a new era in voting for people with disabilities,"
said Land. "This technology is intended to remove obstacles to voting
for members of Michigan’s disability community and to ensure they are given
the same opportunity for access and participation as other voters on Election
Day." Once approved
by the State Administrative Board, the state will execute a $34 million
contract with Election Systems & Software (ES&S) to receive
approximately 4,300 of the AutoMARK voting systems and associated ballot
programming. Costs are covered under the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA)
of 2002. HAVA mandates that states must have a compliant accessible voting
system in place for individuals with disabilities for federal elections in
2006. Implementing
the equipment for the disability community builds on Land’s efforts to shift
the entire state to a uniform voting system that allows all voters to cast
their ballots in the same manner. The department is also working to ensure
all polling location facilities are accessible. The state
invited bids on the accessible equipment contract in November and received
responses from four companies. The AutoMARK system was selected after an
extensive evaluation process involving more than 80 representatives from the
disability community and local election officials. AutoMARK was the
overwhelming favorite of both groups and was cited for its accessibility and
ease of use. Tom Masseau,
director of government and media relations for the Michigan Protection &
Advocacy Service, served on the committee that evaluated the equipment
proposals and welcomes the advancement for voters with disabilities. "Throughout
the selection process, Secretary Land has demonstrated her commitment to the
disability community by actively seeking the input of individuals and
advocates," Masseau said. "The end result is a voting device that
not only provides exceptional accessibility features, but also adheres to the
principles of inclusiveness by providing people with various types of
disabilities the opportunity to mark, verify and cast their votes on the same
ballot as every other voting citizen." Depending on
their needs, voters may cast their votes without assistance using the screen,
Braille keypad or foot pedal. They may also use magnification and contrast
features on the screen, headphones with an audio function, a wand or personal
sip/puff tube to assist in marking the ballot. When the ballot is completed,
it is scanned and is stored with all other ballots. Voters maintain the privacy
of their ballot throughout the process. Using any of
the other disability systems under consideration would require poll workers
to merge election vote results obtained from two different pieces of voting
equipment. It also would complicate the task of county canvassing boards,
Land said. The ability to cast a secret ballot like everyone else is a
priority for disability advocacy groups, she added. The AutoMARK
system is a good fit for the needs of election officials as it does not
require any merging of ballot totals and will simplify the task of
pre-election testing, Land said. She noted it also provides a solution for
members of the disability community who desire accessibility, independence
and privacy in voting. The plan to
provide technology that has been designed specifically for members of the
disability community in the voting booth is the first such endeavor in state
history. According to the Michigan Commission on Disability Concerns, 1.9
million of the state’s approximately 10 million
residents have disabilities.
AutoMARK |
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Copyright © 2006 State of Michigan |
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