Good for ya Bro!
Marcia
From: msb-alumni-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <msb-alumni-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On
Behalf Of Richard McKinley
Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2020 12:54 PM
To: msb-alumni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [msb-alumni] Re: Lawsuit: Absentee ballots aren't an option for blind
Michigan voters who want to vote on their own
I've been able to do some house cleaning on my facebook friends list. I
removed someone yesterday for supporting voting against mail in voting. I
refuse to condone that idiotic kind of thinking. I'll leave it at that.
On Apr 29, 2020, at 12:30 PM, Tony Handley <tonydrummer@xxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:tonydrummer@xxxxxxxxxxx> > wrote:
I went to vote at my local Polo the last couple elections. Both times I went,
the audible machine was down. So, not only are they not allowing access from
home, you can’t even get it when you go there.
Sent from my iPhone
On Apr 28, 2020, at 5:18 PM, Steve <pipeguy920@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:pipeguy920@xxxxxxxxx> > wrote:
Amen, Fred, I'd love to be a co-plaintiff on this one!
Steve
Absentee ballots aren't an option for blind Michigan voters who want to vote on
their own. And during the coronavirus pandemic - when state officials are
encouraging people to stay home and vote absentee instead of congregating at
the polls - that's dangerous, said Jason Turkish, managing partner at Nyman
Turkish PC.
The firm is suing Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Director of Elections
Jonathan Brater for failing to provide alternatives for blind people to vote
absentee. The lawsuit requests a judge to require Michigan to implement an
accessible absentee voting alternative by the May 5 election. The federal
lawsuit was filed over the weekend, on behalf of blind Michiganders Michael
Powell and Fred Wurtzel, the current and former president of the Michigan
Affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind. "People will get COVID
because they cannot vote from home," Turkish said, who's a blind Michigan voter
himself. Secretary of State officials declined to answer MLive questions about
the lawsuit or questions about why Michigan doesn't allow for accessible
absentee voting. Powell v Benson Stamped Com... by Taylor DesOrmeau on Scribd
Many blind people must take public transportation to get to the polls, further
putting them at risk for getting coronavirus, Turkish said. Other states have
implemented methods to allow blind people to vote absentee from home, using
screen-reading software. The U.S. Court of Appeals required Ohio to do so,
after a 2018 lawsuit . Because the software is already in place in other states
and is "open source," it wouldn't cost Michigan much, if anything, to make this
accommodation, Turkish said. "We are not asking for a penny of damages in this
lawsuit," Powell said in a news release. "All we are asking for is the
opportunity to vote in a manner that is safe, private, and accessible, the same
way Michiganders without disabilities are able to. Michigan has methods in
place to help blind voters vote in person. There are some voting machines with
accessibility built in or blind voters can request assistance from a poll
worker, Turkish said. After numerous conversations with state officials about
the issue, Turkish said advocates had to file a lawsuit if they wanted to see
action. "Our democracy is better off, the more people who participate. I
thought that's what Jocelyn Benson stood for," Turkish said, noting he voted
for her. "It's really shameful. COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing
hands regularly and not touching your face , officials recommend practicing
social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials
say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from
home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you , and use disinfecting wipes
or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home
(door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores.
Read more Michigan coronavirus coverage here Monday, April 27: Latest
developments on coronavirus in Michigan Michigan extends personal protection
orders during coronavirus crisis Daily life grinds to a halt with empty
streets, a rising death toll as coronavirus lays siege to Detroit Note to
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blind people must take public transportation to get to the polls, further
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,{"_id":"OLHPH4ZYYFHKLB47QU6JMZF74M","type":"text","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"inline_comments":[],"_id":1588002674457},"content":"Other
states have implemented methods to allow blind people to vote absentee from
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the software is already in place in other states and is "open source," it
wouldn't cost Michigan much, if anything, to make this accommodation, Turkish
said."}
,{"_id":"R7GWFXQ2UJDU5F3CMWGRFOJS6E","type":"text","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"inline_comments":[],"_id":1588002674459},"content":"We
are not asking for a penny of damages in this lawsuit," Powell said in a news
release. "All we are asking for is the opportunity to vote in a manner that is
safe, private, and accessible, the same way Michiganders without disabilities
are able to."}
,{"_id":"MD45RXF2Y5AHVPTABELOQW2L4A","type":"text","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"inline_comments":[],"_id":1588002674460},"content":"Michigan
has methods in place to help blind voters vote in person. There are some
voting machines with accessibility built in or blind voters can request
assistance from a poll worker, Turkish said."}
,{"_id":"SE4PYTAHGJFODM7Y4F45ZVX6YA","type":"text","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"inline_comments":[],"_id":1588002674461},"content":"After
numerous conversations with state officials about the issue, Turkish said
advocates had to file a lawsuit if they wanted to see action.
"},{"_id":"R32ZFVZJ7VGPNPLKQTSZCBTFIA","type":"text","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"inline_comments":[],"_id":1588002674462},"content":"Our
democracy is better off, the more people who participate. I thought that's
what Jocelyn Benson stood for," Turkish said, noting he voted for her. "It's
really shameful."
