Angelica Brand helps Isaac Bravo find his way with an ICX voting machine during a mock election event on February 27th. (Photo by Jack Orleans/Cronkite News)
A sample large print ballot is placed on a table next to other voting resources for people with disabilities on Feb. 27. (Photo by Jack Orleans/Cronkite News)
Signs at the Feb. 27 mock election event will indicate where to vote and how to vote. (Photo by Jack Orleans/Cronkite News)
Braille placards informing people of their rights as visually impaired voters during a mock election event on Feb. 27. (Photo by Jack Orleans/Cronkite News)
PHOENIX – A mock election to help voters with a variety of physical or mental disabilities, including those with autism or intellectual or developmental disabilities, is being launched by the Maricopa County Recorder of Elections Office and a Phoenix nonprofit. It was held on February 27 by Vote The Spectrum, an initiative to register 10,000 individuals with
“As of today, we have registered 250 people to vote, which means even more people will be able to vote,” said Monica Murray, a member of the Maricopa County Special Elections Board.
These committees serve people who have difficulty voting due to a variety of disabilities.
“250 people may not seem like a lot compared to millions of voters, but to me it’s 250 people who wouldn’t have voted,” Murray said.
A mock election was held 1st place – Phoenixa housing complex for neurodiverse individuals. The organizers’ goal was to encourage neurodiverse people and people with disabilities to vote because their voices matter.
The event was designed to show people the variety of assistance available, including special request voting. We also informed people of the assistance available to them to help them feel more comfortable and understand what to expect at their polling place. The mock election event was attended by people with a variety of autism and disabilities.
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes speaks to those who participated in a mock election event on February 27. (Photo by Jack Orleans/Cronkite News)
“Some of us are probably neurodivergent every day, and we just may not realize it,” Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said.
The event provided large print and Braille ballots for people who are visually impaired. Murray said the large print ballots are 17 by 34 inches, and the Braille ballots use standard U.S. Braille.
Participants also tried a third accessibility device, the ICX machine. It uses voice instructions and Braille, using a controller similar to a video game controller.
“It’s called an audio-tactile interface controller, and it has buttons to help you navigate the voting process. It also has Braille if you want to read it in Braille, and it also has earphones,” said Maricopa County Voter. said Angelica Brand, communications coordinator for the support team.
The National Federation of the Blind estimates that fewer than 10% of the 1.3 million legally blind people in the United States can read Braille. However, according to the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness, no hard numbers exist.
Event attendee Lauren Heimerdinger, who is visually impaired, noticed some drawbacks to the machine. She is not fluent in Braille, she said.
Lauren Heimerdinger, a part-time receptionist at the Arizona Center for the Visually Impaired, tests equipment provided by the Maricopa County Elections Department during a mock election event on Feb. 27. (Photo by Jack Orleans/Cronkite News )
“I didn’t know which buttons were what. It worked for me to feel the buttons and have a little bit of time before I knew what they did and how they behaved.” We’ll go,” Heimerdinger said.
Heimerdinger said it would be helpful if there was more explanation on how to use the ICX machine or time to familiarize yourself with the buttons.
Event organizers also spoke about the Maricopa County Special Elections Commission, which assists people with limited medical conditions or disabilities who are unable to vote at a polling place.
According to the Arizona Disability Compendium, Maricopa County is home to 480,232 people with disabilities, about 11% of the county’s total population. According to the Election Assistance Commission, voter turnout among people with disabilities in Arizona increased by 10.6 percentage points from 2016 to 2020, from 66.2% to 76.8%.
Arizona’s presidential election will be held on Tuesday.
