Category: News and Views
Tomorrow, November 7th, is Election Day here in the U.S. If you're a citizen and over 18, it is your right and duty to go to the polls tomorrow and make your voice heard. This election could bring about a lot of change in this country, and considering the current situation we're in, it's change for the better. No matter who or what you support, it's your job to help ensure this country's survival as the free, safe democracy we know and love, so rock that vote!! After you do so, post about it here. You don't have to say who you voted for if you don't want to.
I'm happy to report that several of the polling places in my county have accesible voting machines. I'll be using one of them tomorrow to vote in my first major election. I'm very excited!!
...Here's to ya krisme,
First time Voter in a Major Election..
All the BEST to you. Rock on!
Bush has been given a pasting I'd be happier with an assassination.
Well Goblin, I guess its good you don't live in the U.S. Unlike other less civilized places in the world, we don't wish unpopular politicians to be assassinated, we just vote them out of office. The next two years of American politics are going to be very interesting.
Just wanted to say that I voted yesterday. *smile* I was very happy with how it went; this one guy there where I voted was especially helpful in setting me up with the accessible machine and was willing to take the time to learn about it (as he said he was new to it). It felt so good to "read" and mark my own ballot with only a little help, although it took over an hour for me because the machine read very slowly. (I'm thinking it reads so slowly maybe for people with some learning/language disabilities. So I didn't mind, but I wish there could've been a way to speed it up for those who don't need the reading to be so slow.) Aside from that, I enjoyed it and would ask to use an accessible machine again. *smile*
Yes, I used an accessible machine yesterday as well. I have used these machines before, but it is so liberating to be able to vote independently. Tinkerbell, do you know which brand of accessible machine your county uses? Different machines offer different advantages.
We had the AUtomark in Michigan. It included a speed control and a way to turn off the screen. Nice design and worked well for several of us.
I didn't vote today. Ok, before you all jump down my throat and say I should have, well, I did the absentee balot. I did get the opprotunity to try the automark over the summer though and found it to be simple enough. The only issue that people may have is the fact that the arrow keys are refered to as next, right arrow, and something else throughout the process. Maybe that bug was fixed by yesterday though, I'm not sure.
I also voted yesterday, and was very happy with the results. (yay Dems!!) I got to vote accesibly for the second time
Hi, Pyrodemon. I don't know what the name of the machine is, but it has either a screen that can be turned off/on or a touch keybord I think because it has a wide space between the front and back of it (or maybe I just didn't find the keyboard because I really didn't touch around the whole top of the machine).
Anyway, the keys that I needed to use are all raised. On the front (nearest the voter), there is an up and down arow that is like a split diamond, and near it to the right is an intact diamond key. To the right of each of these keys, they are each labeled in Braile: "up", "down", and "select". toward the back end of the machine (in the center top), is a longish oval-shaped button with "vote" Brailled under it. The guy that helped me get set up with it read the instructions to me on what was going to happen and how to use it (as he had to put some kind of cartridge thing in there for me to select the language and then take it out for me to start). The speech was very clear but either it was supposed to read very slow or we didn't know about a speed control. *smile* What I meant by that I could vote with a little help was because I had had a question about some of the choices that said "write in selection", but I never had to use that option anyway, but that's all. As far as the actual reading of everything and choosing who I wanted, I was able to do that independently. *smile*
Abraham Lincoln JFK and the attempted assassination of Regean. Pyrodemon I beg to differ on the dislike of bumping off your leaders.