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Shortly before the election I wrote about the barriers to voting I face as someone who is blind. I described how, at almost 27 years old, I had never voted because I worried about a lack of privacy in the process.
Traditional ways of voting would require me to get someone else’s help — whether checking boxes on a paper ballot or choosing a candidate on a screen.
But while reporting the story, I learned about a machine called the Express Vote, which helps blind and low-vision voters mark ballots electronically, enlarge the print on the screen and use screen readers with headphones.
I gave it a try on Election Day. Unfortunately, the machine didn’t work.
Here’s what happened and why it matters.
Because this was my first time voting, I came prepared, bringing proper documentation. After registering, I asked poll workers for the Express Vote, and they led me over to it. I can only describe it as a large screen, a bit like a giant iPad, set up on a plastic table with a chair in front of it. A set of headphones was plugged into it, and when I put them on, I heard a voice repeating: “To begin accessible voting, press any key on the accessible voting console.”
The trouble? There were no physical keys. Another piece of the machine was missing, too.
After a while, we realized it wouldn’t work. So I filled out a traditional ballot with help from my mother, who accompanied me to the polls.
The poll workers apologized profusely.
I hold no ill will toward them. The equipment is not used often, and staff likely had limited, if any, training on how to operate it.
But the situation highlights a key point from my original article: Although people with visual disabilities can privately cast their ballots in theory, election workers aren’t always properly equipped or trained to make that happen.
Still, I’m glad I got to vote, and I think everyone involved learned from this situation. People with disabilities do have options, and that’s what matters most to me.
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When accessible voting isn’t accessible: A blind voter’s experience at the polls is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.
