| Secretary of State Press Release |
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Language for Press Release: IVS Pilot Project
Secretary of State Bill Bradbury announces pilot project to assist voters with disabilities.
As part of an ongoing effort to meet the requirements of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) the Secretary of State announced the implementation of a pilot project to be implemented for the May Primary election in ten counties. The system, called an Accessible Ballot Marking System (ABMS), allows some voters with disabilities to mark their ballot independently and privately. The ABMS, a product of IVS, LLC, in Kentucky, uses a telephone and fax as a ballot marking assistive device. The election official calls into the system using a toll free number. They then enter a security code to validate the call and to let the system know which ballot the voter needs. Once the ballot is activated, the election official gives the phone to the voter.
The first thing the voter hears is an option to listen to instructions on how to navigate and mark the ballot. Then the voter uses the verbal prompts and the telephone keypad to make selections on his/her ballot. Once completed the voter verifies the selections by listening to his/her marked ballot. The voter has the option to then make changes or accept the ballot. When the voter is ready to submit the ballot, he/she hangs up the phone. Within seconds the system faxes back a ballot that is marked with the voters selections. The voter can then take the ballot, place it in their secrecy and return envelope, sign it and cast the ballot. Once received by the county the signature will be verified and the ballot duplicated for counting on the optical scan machines used by the county.
Each of the pilot counties has installed a dedicated telephone line at the elections office that will be connected to a fax machine and a special telephone that is designed to be user friendly for people with various disabilities. The numbers for the phone lines in the ten pilot counties are secured by being programmed as recognized lines into the system. The system will not allow calls from any other numbers. The system does not store any information after releasing the ballot to the designated fax line and does not tally any votes.
A unique practice and preview feature of the ABMS allows the voter to call a toll free number, put in a unique code provided by the county, and practice voting his/her ballot prior to actually using the system to vote a ballot. This gives the voter hands-on experience prior to actually using the system and greatly reduces the amount of time it takes the voter to vote at the county elections office.
This is strictly a pilot through which we hope to gain valuable information. It is a first step toward discovering the most effective ways to insure that all persons have the opportunity and ability to vote privately and independently in future Federal elections as required by HAVA. If successful the program will expand to all 36 Oregon Counties in the November General Election.
The ten pilot counties are: Klamath, Linn, Deschutes, Clatsop, Umatilla, Washington, Clackamas, Lane, Coos, and Yamhill.
If you or someone you know resides in one of these pilot counties and has a disability that has previously not afforded the chance to vote privately and/or independently, this is a timely opportunity. County clerks in these pilot areas welcome voters to call for more information.
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