2-15-2025 2:56pm

A Blind Eye View: Is Voting Accessible?

Person with a white cane walking towards a large arrow with "VOTE" inside. Illustrated by Alex AI.

For many Americans, voting is a straightforward civic duty—a simple matter of showing up at a polling place, marking a ballot, and submitting it. But for blind voters, the path to independent and private voting has been anything but simple. As the political machinery dominates conversations, much of the focus is on candidates and policies. But it’s just as vital to talk about the process itself—how we vote, who has access, and whether all Americans can cast their ballots independently and privately.

My first experience at the polls in 2004, during the Bush versus Kerry race, was both exhilarating and frustrating. At nineteen, I was ready to do my part as a voter. But there was one major obstacle: I couldn’t vote independently.

At that time, accessible voting machines didn’t exist, nor were there accessible absentee ballots. My only options were to bring someone with me to assist or to rely on an election official—both of which compromised the privacy and security of my vote. The idea that, in 2004, I couldn’t cast a truly private ballot seemed absurd. Not just for me, but for any blind voter in the United States.

Change came in the form of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), passed in 2002 under the Bush administration. HAVA required polling places to update their voting equipment and mandated that every polling location have at least one accessible voting machine for people with disabilities. While HAVA had several provisions, this requirement was a game-changer for blind and disabled voters, finally ensuring the right to an independent and private ballot.

Despite HAVA’s passage, change didn’t happen overnight. My first opportunity to use an accessible voting machine didn’t come until 2005, when Diebold representatives demonstrated their system at a community event. At the time, I was serving as President of the Northwest Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Washington, and Margit Kingston, a friend and fellow community leader, represented the United Blind of Whatcom County. We, along with several others, tested the machine and provided feedback. I distinctly remember some of the sample options, including a humorous “Chocolate Chip Cookie” choice for President. Unfortunately, the machine’s synthetic speech was nearly unintelligible. I left that event hoping that when I next voted independently, I’d at least be able to understand my ballot.

Accessible voting machines vary by state and manufacturer, but they all serve the same purpose: enabling blind and disabled voters to cast a private, independent ballot. These machines often include audio output through headphones, tactile keypads for navigation, braille labels, and alternative input methods such as sip-and-puff controls. Depending on the state, ballots may be printed for submission or cast electronically. These features ensure that blind voters can navigate their ballots independently, just like any other voter.

I don’t vividly recall voting in the 2006 midterms, but I do remember my experience in the 2008 presidential election. That year, not only was the ballot accessible, but it was also clear and easy to understand. In some areas, election officials even arranged for the ballot to be voiced by radio personalities. That election was particularly meaningful to me, as I had served as a precinct caucus officer earlier that year. Hearing my own name on the ballot was surreal—a reminder of how far I’d come in my civic engagement.

Since then, I’ve voted in several elections using a variety of accessible voting systems. Each year has brought improvements, but also new challenges.

The 2020 election was unique for many reasons, particularly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That year, I opted for an accessible absentee ballot rather than voting in person. The process was more complicated than expected. I spent time going back and forth with the Secretary of State’s office just to access the online system. Then, I had to purchase a printer to print my completed ballot. The real challenge, however, came with signing it. The system assumed that a blind voter would have a sighted person available to help. Since I live independently, I had to use a paid remote interpreter service to ensure my signature was placed correctly.

Fortunately, improvements are on the horizon. Plans are in place to eliminate the requirement to sign in a specific spot, making the process more accessible to those without sighted assistance. Additionally, procedures for securing and returning the ballot are being updated, as many blind voters in 2020 found that sighted assistance was also needed to prepare the ballot for mailing.

When I voted in 2024, I chose to vote early at the election board office using an accessible voting machine. The poll worker informed me that the machine had been experiencing some problems, but I decided to go ahead.

I was able to navigate and complete my ballot independently, which, according to the poll worker, was better than some voters before me had managed. However, when it came time to print and cast my ballot, the system only marked one side of the ballot. My selections for officials were left blank, while the referenda were correctly marked.

This meant I had no choice but to request assistance from a poll worker to cast my vote properly. I was assigned someone who was supposedly a member of my political party, but what proof did I have of that beyond their word? To make matters worse, I had to make my selections in an area where others could overhear—a particularly uncomfortable situation given the intensity of the election cycle.

The alternative was voting at the fairgrounds, where the machines were reportedly working. But in a city with limited public transportation options, getting there would have been a logistical challenge. Downtown was much more accessible for me, especially since my workplace was nearby, so I had little choice but to deal with the issues at the election board office.

Beyond machine malfunctions, another persistent issue is the lack of training among poll workers. While some are knowledgeable and eager to help, others are unfamiliar with how accessible voting machines work. This can lead to delays, confusion, and even unintentional interference. Some poll workers, in an effort to be helpful, overstep in ways that feel intrusive. Being guided too forcefully, having someone press buttons for me without asking, or being spoken to in a tone that feels condescending are all experiences I—and many other blind voters—have encountered at the polls. While often well-intentioned, these actions undermine the independence that accessible voting is meant to provide. Proper training for poll workers could go a long way in ensuring that blind voters receive the support they need without unnecessary obstacles.

Voting accessibility has come a long way since 2004, but my experience in 2024 was a stark reminder that progress isn’t always linear. While we’ve seen improvements in technology and policy, we still face critical issues—malfunctioning machines, inaccessible ballot return processes, and flawed systems that assume blind voters always have sighted assistance.

The fight for fully accessible voting is ongoing, but one thing is certain: blind voters are here, we are engaged, and we will continue to make our voices heard—independently.

Until next time and as always, stay well and forever Alamogorgeous!

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to Alex, an AI assistant developed by OpenAI, for assistance with editing, organization, and research, and to Dot, an AI from New Computer, for additional support. Learn more about Alex at openai.com and Dot at newcomputer.com.