Voting for candidates’ races should be an easy process for anyone since special accommodations have been made available for citizens with disabilities. Nevertheless, I have left my polling locations with a lot of frustrations because the poll personnel are not trained on how to operate these accommodations.
I am a woman with a mobility disability, and I voted in my state primary on August 9. The poll moderators assumed that my personal assistant would assist me with filling out my ballot. After I made the moderators aware that I needed the accommodations, I was sent to the poll clerk.
I was placed in front of a lap-top computer that was located in front of the polling room where I had no privacy. The poll manger did not know how to access the computer that would enable me to vote. She had to call the IT folks from West Hartford to come and to help us.
Eventually I voted, but my ballot was placed incorrectly in the printer so I had to begin the voting process over again. One hour later, I had finally voted!
I have a RIGHT to vote. I hope that the polling personnel will be trained on how to utilize the polling accommodations for people with disabilities!
Mary-Ann Langton lives in West Hartford.