Abilities!

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An Election Win for People with Disabilities

November 2006

For the first time in New York State history, people with disabilities will be afforded the opportunity to cast their votes privately and independently in a general election. Election Day this year includes a new polling place in Nassau County — the Smeal Learning Center at Abilities! — which is equipped with the new Avante Vote-Trakker machine that will enable people with disabilities to cast their votes unaccompanied by others. Abilities! persistently worked to make this available for disabled workers in Nassau County, due to our commitment of including people with disabilities in all aspects of community life.

The Avante Vote-Trakker machines represent a stopgap measure in response to a lawsuit brought against New York State by the Justice Department for not complying with the 2002 federal election reform law. New York State intends to use these machines for the 2006 general election, however, these machines will not be used beyond that point since they fall short of the standards set by federal and state election reform laws. This stopgap measure prevented the state from losing $220 million in aide for new voting machines. It is anticipated that new voting machines that meet the federal election reform law standards should be in place at all poling places in New York State in 2007.

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