An Easy Way to Get Comfortable with the New Accessible Voting Machines

When we go to our poll sites to vote, we now have the option of using a machine called a Ballot Marking Device (BMD), which has accessible features that allow voters with disabilities to make their choices privately and independently. People who have difficulty standing, reaching and operating the levers, or reading the candidate’s names will find that the BMDs offer a more comfortable voting experience.

Although the BMDs have been available at every polling place in NYC since the fall 2008 elections, many people shied away from trying them during the high stakes setting of a poll site. Now, the Board of Elections is hosting BMD Learning Centers several weeks before the September primary (see the attached schedule). This means you have the opportunity to get comfortable using the machines before an election. Organize a field trip with a group of friends at one of the locations listed below and find out for yourself how the Ballot Marking Device works. The following press release was sent by the Board of Elections.


THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK WILL HOST BALLOT MARKING DEVICE (BMD) LEARNING CENTERS FOR THE PUBLIC PRIOR TO THE FALL 2009 ELECTIONS.

The Board of Elections in the City of New York will host several Ballot Marking Device (BMD) Learning Centers in August and September 2009. The BMD Learning Centers give the public an opportunity to view and practice using the same type of BMDs that will be available to New Yorkers at their regular polling places during the upcoming 2009 Elections.

“Those who visit a BMD Learning Center will be able to practice using the device at their own pace and staff members will be on hand to offer assistance and answer any questions,” stated Commissioner of Elections in the City of New York, Juan Carlos “J.C.” Polanco.

The Help America Vote Act of October 2002 requires that voters with disabilities be able to cast a ballot in the same place and manner and with the same degree of privacy as all other voters. The BMD allows all voters, including voters with disabilities, to mark a ballot privately and independently. The BMD does not count votes. It merely marks the voter’s selections on a paper ballot to be counted with other paper ballots on Election night. There will be at least one BMD in each poll site for voters who wish to use them during the upcoming Fall 2009 Primary and General Elections.

“We encourage voters to visit a BMD Learning Center in the coming weeks. Practicing with the BMD will help voters feel more comfortable using the device on Election Day,” stated Executive Director of the Board of Elections in the City of New York, Marcus Cederqvist.

The BMD Learning Centers will be held at the Board’s General Office and in each Borough Office. No appointments are necessary. The schedule and location of each BMD Learning Center is as follows:

http://www.vote.nyc.ny.us/pdf/documents/boe/BMDLearningCenterSchedule.pdf