Detroit voters from the blind community are urging city officials to fix accessible voting machines, which many claim have been non-functional or hindered their rights to vote.
A handful of voters, including members of the Detroit Advocates of the Blind, told City Council members on Sept. 29 that they often experienced Voter Assist Terminal machines that froze, employees who are not trained to use them and long delays at the polls to cast their votes. The machines include accommodations for people anyone with visual, hearing and physical disabilities, according to the state. Advocates seek a fix ahead of the November general election. City Council President James Tate said officials are aware of the concerns and raised them to the city clerk
and Department of Elections offices.
Richard Clay, president of Detroit Advocates of the Blind, said members have been engaging with City and Wayne County Clerk offices to boost the functionality of the machines across the city and training among poll workers.
"And yet, the last primary election, the VAT (Voter Assist Terminal) machines all across the city … were failing, right here in the city-county building. The VAT machine that people came to use to vote on independently and exercise their federal civil right was not working. That is is a travesty. It should not be happening after all this time, it is a violation of our civil rights. We’re here today because we have been trying to work these things out," Clay said. "These things cannot continue to happen election after election, after election."
Stephen Handschu, also with the Detroit Advocates of the Blind, said machines appear to work during demonstrations, but often don't work when it is time to vote.
"The people in the poling places are not trained on how they should be used or set up. And, I’m rarely speechless, but it’s hard to even begin to describe what it is to not be able to vote independently and secretly, as you do, as citizens of this country. We really do need help," Handschu said. "The biggest problem people complain about, and I personally have experienced it, to the point that I’ve had to vote absentee, is that in the environment of a polling place, which is a very loud place, you can’t hear through the earphones. You cannot hear the machine."
Beatrice Luckett said she has been blind most of her life, and said in the past, she would be able to use the machine in the building where she lives, however, it was eventually removed.
"All of a sudden, no more voting in the building. So, I went from one church to the other with my son, who had to help me because they didn’t even have a machine. There is no excuse," Luckett said.
Sabrina Rice said she went to her precinct for the Aug. 4 primary, only to leave disappointed that she could not vote, citing it as a recurring incident.
"I show up, the machine is not working. They send for a backup tool to help me vote. It doesn’t work. They go get another machine, it did not work. So after three machines and about two hours of being at my polling place, I still did not get to vote independently and I am beyond disappointed," Rice said. "I’ve been blind for 14 years. And at the tender age of 18, I started voting and never stopped. But I’ve been stopped from voting because of no reason of my own, but because somebody fails to fix the VAT machines so that we can vote independently, secretly. Nobody should be able to see who I vote for."
The Free Press left a message with City Clerk Janice Winfrey's office for comment.
Councilmember Gabriela Santiago-Romero said the city needs to provide more plans on training employees to operate the machines to ensure enough are ready and available for the November election. Councilmember Denzel McCampbell, who the chairs the disability task force, said he has been in touch with the clerk's office on issues he has heard with the machines.
"It is dire that we do get this solved for folks ahead of the general election, McCampbell said. "Because some of the things we heard today are absolutely unacceptable."
Dana Afana is the Detroit City Hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact: dafana@freepress.com. Follow her: @DanaAfana.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Voters with disabilities urge Detroit to fix assistive voting machines
