Blind Voters May Struggle With New Machines

election5-15
election5-15

From the Associated Press — New voting machines in Michigan may cause problems for residents with a visual disability.
The Detroit Free Press reports that Tuesday’s primary will feature $40 million of new equipment that replaced aging voting machines. Blind voters in the state have used AutoMark Voter Assist Terminals for more than a decade. The terminals have a touch screen and a keypad with Braille. Most Michigan counties will now use Dominion Voting Systems. The equipment
doesn’t have keypads with Braille and feature verbal instructions that can be difficult for a blind person to follow. Fred Woodhams is a spokesman for the Michigan Secretary of State’s Office. He says the device is federally certified and complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. A 2015 survey estimates that about 221,000 Michigan residents have a visual
disability.