[tabi] Researcher Demonstrates NEW Accessible Voting Technology on Capitol Hill
- From: K4NKZ Jim <k4nkz@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: tabi <tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 20 Jul 2013 16:33:37 -0400
What I like about this new voting machine is that it is the same machine
all people will use!
That is, we The Blind do not need a "Special" machine, which Poll
Workers might or might not know how to administer or problem shoot.
A Standard Voting machine will serve all people, despite any Disability
or not.
With Best Regards,
God Bless,
Alan
Plantation, Florida
Researcher Demonstrates Accessible Voting Technology on Capitol Hill
Published: June 18, 2013
Clemson University WASHINGTON, D.C. - Clemson University researchers today
showed lawmakers on Capitol Hill an electronic voting system they say will
help resolve current technological challenges at the polls and restore
voter confidence.
Researchers took Prime III to the Rayburn House Office Building to
demonstrate use of the technology to U.S. Representative James Clyburn and
other congressional leaders.
"Too many Americans face barriers to voting that simply should not be
there," Congressman Clyburn said. "Whether it's a disability, a language
preference or the color of their skin, every eligible American should have
unfettered access to the ballot box."
Professor Juan Gilbert, Presidential Endowed Chair in Computing, leads the
human-centered computing division in the School of Computing at Clemson.
He developed Prime III to ensure voting accessibility for all people,
including individuals with disabilities. The voting technology also
produces old-fashioned simplicity with paper ballots for backup
verification.
"It's a universal design that makes it usable by as many people as
possible, regardless of their age, ability or situation," Gilbert said.
"You don't have a disability machine, but one single voting machine."
Current law requires voting precincts to maintain voting machines that are
accessible for the disabled, but Gilbert notes some states experienced
problems maintaining multiple systems and training poll workers.
"Consolidating a system into one technology makes the training process
easier and more conducive for everyone," he said.
Prime III allows voters to cast ballots by touch and/or by voice. (See
related video at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bM5DKP4c4aw&feature=youtu.be
.)
"If you can't see, can't hear, can't read or don't have arms, you can vote
privately and independently on the same machine as anyone else," Gilbert
said. "There's no ambiguity. The ballot is easy to count, easy to verify
and can be read by optical character recognition."
Prime III includes advances in four areas:
◦Accessibility - Voters can choose to follow written or spoken
instructions. Likewise, they can record their votes either by touching a
screen or speaking into a microphone.
◦Security - The self-contained software for Prime III is run from
bootable DVDs. It never is reached online or downloaded to a local
computer. Voters confirm printed ballots before they are filed with the
electronic data so election officials can audit overall results from a
precinct.
◦Usability - The software was developed through years of usability
testing, using focus groups that included people with a variety of
physical disabilities. That research will continue in larger public tests.
◦Privacy - Even using the voice-activated ballot, voters don't have
to divulge the names of the candidates they support. A series of voice
prompts leads voters to say words such as "next" or "vote." Printed
ballots contain no identifying information; stickers with authenticated
serial numbers are applied to each ballot to ensure that only properly
cast ballots are retained.
Gilbert's research team examined all aspects of the voting experience.
"Our research team is interdisciplinary, with individuals from the social
sciences, engineering and computing. We have experts in accessibility. We
also have experts who deal with administration - training election
officials and poll workers," Gilbert said.
Prime III was first tested in controlled laboratory settings and later in
national academic and trade association elections. It was used in an
official capacity during the 2012 presidential primary election in Oregon,
and voters who attend the 2013 NAACP conference in Orlando will use Prime
III to elect new officers.
Contacts
Juan Gilbert
juan@xxxxxxxxxxx
864-656-4846
Brian M. Mullen
Media Relations
mullen2@xxxxxxxxxxx
864-656-2063
Reproduced from
http://www.clemson.edu/media-relations/4953/researcher-demonstrates-accessible-voting-technology-on-capitol-hill/
--
Have A Nice Day, From, K4NKZ Jim B.D.T.B.
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