[infoshare] learn about the new voting system
- From: Rachel <rachel720@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Recipient list suppressed:;
- Date: Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:47:53 -0400
An Easy Way to Get Comfortable with the New Accessible Voting Machines
When we go to our poll sites to vote, we now have the option of using
a machine called a Ballot Marking Device (BMD), which has accessible
features that allow voters with disabilities to make their choices
privately and independently. People who have difficulty standing,
reaching and operating the levers, or reading the candidate's names
will find that the BMDs offer a more comfortable voting experience.
Although the BMDs have been available at every polling place in NYC
since the fall 2008 elections, many people shied away from trying
them during the high stakes setting of a poll site. Now, the Board
of Elections is hosting BMD Learning Centers several weeks before the
September primary (see the attached schedule). This means you have
the opportunity to get comfortable using the machines before an
election. Organize a field trip with a group of friends at one of
the locations listed below and find out for yourself how the Ballot
Marking Device works. The following press release was sent by the
Board of Elections.
THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK WILL HOST BALLOT
MARKING DEVICE (BMD) LEARNING CENTERS FOR THE PUBLIC PRIOR TO THE
FALL 2009 ELECTIONS.
The Board of Elections in the City of New York will host several
Ballot Marking Device (BMD) Learning Centers in August and September
2009. The BMD Learning Centers give the public an opportunity to
view and practice using the same type of BMDs that will be available
to New Yorkers at their regular polling places during the upcoming
2009 Elections.
"Those who visit a BMD Learning Center will be able to practice using
the device at their own pace and staff members will be on hand to
offer assistance and answer any questions," stated Commissioner of
Elections in the City of New York, Juan Carlos "J.C." Polanco.
The Help America Vote Act of October 2002 requires that voters with
disabilities be able to cast a ballot in the same place and manner
and with the same degree of privacy as all other voters. The BMD
allows all voters, including voters with disabilities, to mark a
ballot privately and independently. The BMD does not count votes. It
merely marks the voter's selections on a paper ballot to be counted
with other paper ballots on Election night. There will be at least
one BMD in each poll site for voters who wish to use them during the
upcoming Fall 2009 Primary and General Elections.
"We encourage voters to visit a BMD Learning Center in the coming
weeks. Practicing with the BMD will help voters feel more
comfortable using the device on Election Day," stated Executive
Director of the Board of Elections in the City of New York, Marcus
Cederqvist.
The BMD Learning Centers will be held at the Board's General Office
and in each Borough Office. No appointments are necessary. The
schedule and location of each BMD Learning Center is as follows:
BMD Learning Center Locations & Schedule
Board of Elections General Office
Commissioner's Hearing Room
6th Floor
42 Broadway
New York, NY 10004
Regular Schedule:
August 17, 2009 ? September 11, 2009
Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays
10:00 a.m. ? 4:00 pm.
(Closed Tuesdays)
Extended Hours:
September 3, 2009; 10:00 a.m. ? 7:00 p.m.
September 10, 2009; 10:00 a.m. ? 7:00 p.m.
Holiday Closure:
Closed September 7, 2009 in observance of Labor Day
Queens
Board of Elections Borough Office
126-06 Queens Boulevard, 1st Floor
Kew Gardens, NY 11415
August 31, 2009
10:00 a.m. ? 7:00 p.m.
Brooklyn
Board of Elections Borough Office
345 Adams Street, 4th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
September 1, 2009
10:00 a.m. ? 7:00 p.m.
Staten Island
Board of Elections Borough Office
1 Edgewater Plaza, 4th Floor
Staten Island, NY 10305
September 2, 2009
10:00 a.m. ? 7:00 p.m.
Manhattan
Board of Elections Borough Office
200 Varick St., 10th Floor
New York, NY 10014
September 3, 2009
10:00 a.m. ? 7:00 p.m.
Bronx
Board of Elections Borough Office
1780 Grand Concourse, 5th Floor
Bronx, NY 10457
September 4, 2009
10:00 a.m. ? 7:00 p.m.
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