1. Accessible Voting Initiatives in Maryland
Thank you for including me in today’s forum
Proud of our work in Maryland to improve access by voters with disabilities to the election process
Happy to highlight a few initiatives
Handout: Accessible Voting Initiatives in Maryland
5 relevant things to know about Maryland
National Federation of the Blind is located in Baltimore, Maryland – long-term partnership
University of Baltimore has a usability lab and a professor who is very interested in elections
Statewide voting system
No excuse absentee voting
Any absentee voter can ask to receive ballot electronically
Nikki Baines Charlson
Deputy Administrator
Maryland State Board of Elections

2. Universal Access - Election Systems
Online voter registration
Online request, receipt & marking of absentee ballot
Accessible voting system
We’ve made as much of our voting process accessible as we can
Voter Registration
Online voter registration has lots of advantages – including making this process accessible for most voters with disabilities
Use to register to vote and update a registration (change party, address, name)
Absentee Voting
Online system to request an absentee ballot
Online system to receive an absentee ballot
Online system to mark an absentee ballot
Subject of 2014 litigation
Voting
Use ES&S’ ExpressVote ballot marking device to mark paper ballots
Previously used DRE voting system for 14 years
Universal access as all voters voted the same way
Advocates for voters with disabilities state that because voters now have different ways of marking of the ballot, we’ve moved away from universal access

3. Any voter can vote by absentee ballot & any absentee voter can request to receive his or her ballot electronically
Absentee ballots must be returned by mail or in person
No online submission of voted ballots
Online ballot delivery system was designed to be accessible for all voters, including voters with disabilities
Compatible with most common accessibility tools and software
Tested with voters at the University of Baltimore
Voters using this system can:
Print a blank ballot and mark it by hand OR
Use online ballot marking tool to make selections and then print the marked ballot

4. Example of using ballot marking device
Example of summary page

5. Universal Access – Election Processes
Simple, easy to understand forms
Etiquette for pollworkers
Audit voting locations for access
Accommodations for pollworkers with disabilities
Partnership with the University of Baltimore
Kathryn Summers, Professor, head of UB’s usability lab, Anywhere Ballot team member
Led testing of voting system and online ballot delivery system
Provides feedback on forms and pollworker manual
Include in pollworker training how to communicate with voters, including voters with disabilities
Visit voting locations to make sure that accessible entrance is marked and open, accessible parking spaces are marked
Hire voters with disabilities as election judges
Hire American Sign Language Interpreters to translate for deaf pollworkers

6. Universal Access – Voting Facilities
Early voting centers
Election Day polling places
Each potential voting location is surveyed with accessibility in mind
Survey is based on Department of Justice survey
All 77 early voting centers are accessible
99% of election day locations are accessible
Baltimore City government undertook an effort to improve the accessibility of its election day voting locations
Use older buildings and schools as voting locations
Worked with variety of City government agencies and advocates for voters with disabilities
Result of this effort was that every voting location in Baltimore City is accessible