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Visually Impaired N.H. Voters Get Training On Accessible Ballot System

Daniela Allee
/
NHPR

About 15 people in Concord learned how to use voting technology for the visually impaired at FutureInSight, a local non-profit.

The system, called One4All, was first used in the 2016 state primary.

It's tablet-based. There's a keyboard and voice output that reads through the candidates. Voters hit "enter" on a keyboard to pick their candidate.

This year's system has a few small tweaks: the voice output is clearer and a bit faster, for one thing.

Carol Holmes is from Derry. She voted using this technology in 2016. While she says she's pleased with it, there's still room for improvement.

"Our ballot looks different,” she said.  Our ballot isn't counted electronically. Even though we're blind we want to be like everyone else. We want a ballot like everyone else."

Trainers did say that the Secretary of State's office is working on changing that for the general election this November.

Daniela is an editor in NHPR's newsroom. She leads NHPR's Spanish language news initiative, ¿Qué Hay de Nuevo, New Hampshire? and the station's climate change reporting project, By Degrees. You can email her at dallee@nhpr.org.
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