State refuses to restrict the use of paper ballots

Rochester Democrat & ChronicleDAN WIESSNER
Albany Bureau (August 17, 2007) — ALBANY —

The state Board of Elections on Thursday struck down a proposal that would have allowed only people with disabilities to use paper ballots.

Currently anyone can use the ballots, instead of lever voting machines, if they so choose. At a meeting earlier this month, election officials proposed prohibiting use of ballots unless a voter is disabled. But opponents said the measure would have hindered disabled voters by forcing them to sign up to use the ballots and prove they were actually disabled. Further, people who don't have disabilities may want to use the ballots because, for example, they're translated into different languages. The proposal would have also broken federal law, which says that polls can't be segregated, according to Bo Lipari of New Yorkers for Verified Voting. A 2002 federal law mandated that states replace lever machines because they are inaccessible to the disabled. New York was the only state that missed the Sept. 1, 2006, deadline to adopt new technology.State law had prohibited the use of lever machines after Sept. 1 of this year, but earlier this month Gov. Eliot Spitzer signed a bill that will allow local boards to use the machines until the state adopts electronic technology. An advocate for the blind said disabled voters are still disenfranchised by the state's election methods.

"(Mailings and ballots) must be in an accessible format for disabled voters. When a special election comes, we get a postcard," said Michael Godino of the American Association of the Blind of New York. "(A blind person) should be able to choose between Braille, a phone call, etc." Lipari said the main issue is ensuring there are paper-ballot stations at every polling site. State law dictates there must only be one in each county. Daniel_wiessner@hotmail.comhttp://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070817/NEWS01/708170335