[msb-alumni] Re: Fwd: May 5th Absentee Voting Provisions

From: "Fred Wurtzel" <f.wurtzel@xxxxxxx>
To: <msb-alumni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 4 May 2020 13:26:41 -0400

Hi,

We are very happy that blind folks can vote absentee and in an accessible way.

Warmest Regards,

Fred

From: msb-alumni-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:msb-alumni-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] ;
On Behalf Of Lucy Edmonds
Sent: Monday, May 4, 2020 9:39 AM
To: <msb-alumni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> <msb-alumni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [msb-alumni] Fwd: May 5th Absentee Voting Provisions

Way to go Fred and Michael Powell! I apologize if I’m not allowed to forward
this message, but here it is anyway.

Lucy edmonds

Begin forwarded message:

From: Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
<LARA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: May 4, 2020 at 9:01:53 AM EDT
To: lucyjean11@xxxxxxxxx
Subject: May 5th Absentee Voting Provisions
Reply-To: LARA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx



Note: Date and action required – Also, elections are not occurring in all
voting districts. This only applies to elections occurring locally May 5th

Friday, May 1, 2020

SOS Reaches Settlement On Absentee Provisions For Blind Voters

The Department of State Friday reached a settlement agreement with two blind
Michiganders looking to change how absentee ballots can be cast for people with
visual disabilities in light of safety and privacy concerns during the ongoing
new coronavirus pandemic.

Signed by U.S. District Court Judge Gershwin Drain, the agreement allows for
voters with visual disabilities to cast ballots absentee through use of the
Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, so long as the voter can
provide a declaration that they are blind or otherwise severely disabled "and
that such a disability would prevent them from being able to independently
complete a paper absentee ballot, without traveling to a location accepting
in-person registration and voting on May 5, 2020."

These stipulations only apply to the May 5 election and does not resolve the
overall motion as it relates to elections in August and November, as well as
all future elections.

"I am proud we collaboratively identified a temporary solution to expand voting
access for blind citizens in Michigan," Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said
in a statement. "I am confident we will continue our work to successfully
identify and implement a long-term solution as well. Ensuring all citizens have
equal access to their right to vote is a priority for my administration."

To be eligible, a person must complete an application and declaration by 4 p.m.
Tuesday, May 5, which will be available on the Bureau of Election's website.
Voters will need to provide a state driver's license or personal identification
card number, or the last four digits of their social security number to apply.
Applications can be submitted to their local clerk by mail or e-mail.

Upon submitting a declaration requesting the relief, and being found eligible
for the program, the voter will then cast a standard UOCAVA ballot as forwarded
to them by the Bureau of Elections. This ballot will be made compatible with
standard screen reader technology, including Job Access with Speech software,
and made so that it can "be completed independently and privately."

Previously the state claimed changes to the current absentee ballot process in
order to alleviate proposed burdens on voters who are blind would be
"essentially impossible … to adopt and implement" in time for various elections
across the state next week.

That was according to a filing Thursday, which came as a response to the
original suit filed last month, which claims that voting absentee amidst the
COVID-19 pandemic puts blind voters' safety and privacy at risk (See Gongwer
Michigan Report, April 27, 2020).

The initial suit alleged the state could offer additional services for absentee
voting for Michiganders with disabilities, such as through use of an online
ballot marking tool.

"Even if software is available in other states, there is no existing framework
for those technologies to interact with Michigan's election system. It is
simply not possible to implement such a system in a matter of days, as the
plaintiffs demand here," the Thursday filing says. "That is especially so where
this lawsuit was filed 10 days before the May 5 election date. Plaintiffs'
delay in bringing this action was unreasonable and has prejudiced the ability
of the state defendants both to respond fully to these claims and to comply
with the kind of injunction they propose."

The department contended that while it could be easy in other states for
implement such software, due to the way Michigan conducts its elections at the
local level, it would "require months of planning to implement successfully" –
as would be the case with any new procedure being implemented. Issues
pertaining to how secure this software would be were also raised.

"Election administration in Michigan is decentralized and relies on local
clerks for implementation," the filing says. "Even for matters less substantive
than the addition of an entirely new method of voting, the Secretary of State
and Bureau of Elections generally provide training to these clerks months and
weeks before elections – not in less than a week before an election. … While
the state defendants continue to support new accessibility options for disabled
voters, such fundamental changes to Michigan's election system are not
something that can rushed into existence over the course of a weekend."

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References:
- [msb-alumni] Fwd: May 5th Absentee Voting Provisions
  - From: Lucy Edmonds

[msb-alumni] Re: Fwd: May 5th Absentee Voting Provisions

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