For voters who are disabled, filling out a ballot can pose a separate set of challenges besides figuring out who to vote for.
“We’re gonna vote. I'm learning about voting,” said Barbara Kinsella.
Kinsella has a learning disability and was at SUNY Orange in Middletown to practice voting. She was accompanied at the September event by a family friend, Marlene Magnanini.
Brian Flannery, director of public policy and external affairs with My Independent Living, was at a booth helping voters, disabled or not, get registered that day. He walked Kinsella through the registration process to make sure she would be ready come Election Day.
Flannery explained that for disabled voters, there could be a variety of challenges to voting depending on how accessible the voting location is.
Flannery said issues can range from trouble filling in the bubbles on a ballot, to voting locations and voting booths that are inaccessible.
He explained that what might have been an accessible voting location months ago, could become more challenging for a disabled voter on Election Day.
“They find these facilities and they look good at the time of evaluation, but maybe a ramp is crumbling or not available. Or the facility is arranged in such a way that it has changed again since the first time we did this evaluation,” Flannery said. “Maybe voting machines are up on a stage or something.”
“Little things like this can be a real barrier, real impediment to again that fundamental mechanism of civic participation,” he said.
Kinsella was there to be sure she would be ready for her first-time voting and said first time voters should not be nervous.
“I think it will be nice to vote,” Kinsella said.
Mark Kuhl, with the Orange County Board of Elections, showed a special Ballot Marking Device (BMD) that can be set up to help people with different accessibility challenges. Kuhl said the BMD has audio capabilities and a remote control in Braille for anyone with vision issues.
Flannery explained that the device can be used with the remote control or a sip and puff apparatus for someone who can only use their mouth.
“It takes what is a manual task of bubbling in your votes — Well, that can be really hard for someone who's blind, someone who has low vision, someone who doesn't have the manual dexterity to hold the pen, somebody who maybe is an upper limb amputee. You know, there's a zillion reasons why this could be very challenging,” Flannery said.
Kuhl walked Kinsella through the process of filling out her ballot. They did a practice ballot with questions about favorite ice cream flavors and the seasons.
He showed Kinsella how to mark fall as her favorite season and Tuesday as her favorite day of the week.
After she had filled out the whole practice ballot, Kuhl showed Kinsella how to enter her ballot into the Ballot Marking Device and count her vote.
“You're gonna insert the ballot into this slot, so nice and easy,” Kuhl said as Kinsella’s ballot was swallowed by the machine and counted. “And now you've done your civic duty.”
“That was good,” Kinsella said to congratulations from a little crowd around her. “Yeah, I did a great job.”
Ballot marking devices are required at all polling sites in New York, and available to any voter, not just those with a disability.
Polls across New York State are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday.
