by Daniel Parker, RDPFS Intern
The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) has been helping people to vote privately and independently for several years. Their Voter Resources page lists and explains much of what they offer. Some highlights include:
– a section on voter information by state which lists elections websites for every state, as well as a link to find all NFB state affiliates to contact with further questions;
– NFB’s National Center for Non-Visual Election Technology, which hosts a wealth of information for blind voters as well as election officials, including on the importance of voting, voter registration, and training for poll workers;
– links to current and past voter surveys;
– a section on their legal efforts at the state and federal level to make absentee ballots accessible and to amend the Help America Vote Act (HAVA); and
– video tutorials for some of the most commonly used ballot-marking devices (BMDs). Similar tutorials for the use of voting machines can be found on some websites for state boards of elections as well, such as this one from New York, which includes a transcript.
If you are a person living with vision loss unsure how to go about exercising your right to vote, the NFB offers a place to learn about the process and gain information.
