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  • Jefferson County Clerk Connie Simmons helps demonstrate the Automark voting machine to Devea Mestel during a meeting of the New Vision Blind and Low Vision Support Group on Thursday. The machines are available at all polling places in Jefferson County for the visually impaired. TESA CULLI/REGISTER-NEWS

    visually impaired voting
September 3, 2010

Voting machine aids visually impaired

By TESA CULLI tesa.culli@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — Members of the New Vision Blind and Low Vision Support Group learned how their vote can count in every election.

Jefferson County Clerk Connie Simmons was the guest speaker at the group’s monthly meeting on Thursday, and she brought the Automark voting machine along to explain and demonstrate how those who are blind or vision impaired can vote independently. In addition, members of the group were allowed to use the machine and get first-hand experience with what to expect on election day.

“Even though some may come from another county, every county is required to have a machine you can use that is handicapped accessible,” Simmons said. “It’s a federal law. We have them available in every voting place.”

Those using the machine insert the ballot into it after they have filled out the application for the ballot. The machine optically scans the ballot and the voter can then use Braille, headphones or an enlarged image on the touch screen to vote. The headphones allow the voter to hear a voice that reads each section of the ballot, including instruction, office and candidates. The voter then uses the enlarged touch screen to mark the ballot.

“After you have voted, it will tell you if you undervoted and it will tell you who you voted for in each race,” Simmons said. “If you want to change your votes, it will allow you to go to a specific race and change the vote on the touch screen.”

Once the votes are accepted by the voter, the machine automatically marks each oval on the paper ballot scanned into the machine at the onset of voting.

“It’s very good at filling out the entire oval for each candidate you voted for,” Simmons said. “With this machine, there is no way your vote won’t count.”

After the ballot is marked by the machine, the ballot is then put in the privacy sleeve by the voter and taken to an election judge for the ballot to be placed in the M100 counting machines along with all other ballots for an election.

The Automark machines were purchased by the county prior to the 2006 elections, and the machines which tally the votes, the M100, were purchased in 2002, Simmons said.

Additional information about the machines and other assisted voting options available by the county is available by contacting the Jefferson County Clerk’s office.

The New Vision support group meets at 1:30 p.m. the first Thursday of each month at Faith Lutheran Church and is open to any who are blind or have low vision.

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