John J. Cullerton

Filed: 2/20/2004

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 2503

2     AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 2503 by replacing
3 everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4     "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5 Accessible Voting Technology for the Blind Act of 2004.
 
6     Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
7     "Access" means all of the following:
8         (1) The ability to retrieve all of the information
9     contained in the ballot.
10         (2) The ability to retrieve any instructional
11     information necessary for the effective casting of the
12     ballot, in the form of audible prompts, online help,
13     recorded materials, knowledgeable officials, or other
14     appropriate methods.
15         (3) The ability to make and verify all selections
16     contained in the ballot, including write in selections.
17         (4) The ability to move freely through all the
18     information contained in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3),
19     including, but not limited to, the ability to move both
20     forward and backward through all items and the ability to
21     skip items.
22     "Privacy" means the same level of secrecy of the ballot and
23 voting process which is accorded to all voters, using visual
24 and nonvisual means.

 

 

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1     "Nonvisual" means methods of retrieving information, such
2 as synthesized speech, Braille, or other methods, that do not
3 require sight.
 
4     Section 10. Requirements for accessible voting technology
5 and systems.
6     (a) The State Board of Elections shall require (by
7 certification or otherwise) that the voting technology and
8 systems used by the State or any political subdivision provide
9 blind and visually impaired individuals with access and
10 privacy, which is equivalent to that provided to individuals
11 who are not blind or visually impaired, including the ability
12 for the voter to cast and verify all selections made by both
13 visual and nonvisual means.
14     (b) In requiring nonvisual access and determining
15 appropriate methods and systems for providing it pursuant to
16 subsection (a), the State Board of Elections shall obtain
17 recommendations from representatives of blind consumer
18 organizations, experts in accessible software and hardware
19 design, and any other individual or organization the Board
20 determines to be appropriate.
 
21     Section 15. Technology and systems compliance.
22     (a) Compliance with this Act in regard to voting technology
23 and systems purchased prior to the effective date of this Act
24 shall be achieved at the time of procurement of an upgrade or
25 replacement of the existing equipment or systems.
26     (b) Voting technology and systems purchased after the
27 effective date of this Act must meet, or exceed the standards
28 set by the Federal Elections Commission on April 30, 2002.
 
29     Section 20. Compliance with federal law; rule making
30 authority. The State Board of Elections shall promulgate any
31 rules necessary for the implementation of this Act; provided

 

 

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1 that the rules comport with the Help America Vote Act of 2002,
2 P.L. 107-252, in all relevant respects and that recommendations
3 from representatives of consumer organizations of the blind
4 shall be considered.
 
5     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
6 becoming law.".