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Sorry Darwin, This is Florida, and it isn't easy to get an absentee ballot down here. Also down here the Haitian-Americans and Latin-Americans and many other nationalities who have trouble reading English, were not allowed assistance from anyone, and many of them were told they had run out of ballots, so they were denied their right to vote, and if you ruined one, you were not allowed to have another ballot. In some of the areas, because of the DOT, there were barracades in front of polling places. This flap is not as simple as it seems!!! I haven't read in the newspaper, nor seen on TV, anything these people were saying that I don't know it to be true. If I were one of the persons in Palm Beach County who's vote was tossed out, and I had asked for a new ballot and had been denied one, you'd hear me screaming clear in Wichita. just me, Marjorie 68/58/55 At 09:41 AM 11/10/2000 -0600, you wrote: >While I agree that the polls should have the proper accessibility, this >argument falls a little flat when it is so easy to just vote absentee ballot >in the comfort of your own home with assistance from a family member or >trusted friend. Not to mention more time to read and understand all the >sometimes lengthy legalese questions on the ballot. > >An additional fact. By law, anyone who needs assistance with casting their >vote may have someone go in with them or request any official at the >polling place to help them. > > ---------- > > From: Bonnie Rowley[SMTP:[log in to unmask]] > > Sent: Thursday, November 09, 2000 7:09 PM > > Subject: (fwd) RALLY IN PALM BEACH > > > > I got this from another list & thought I'd pass it on. > > Bonnie > > daughter of Jim 80/72 > > * * * > > Live well * Laugh often * Love much > > (Smiling PARKies Live Easier) > > Join SPARKLE > > [log in to unmask] > > > > > > > IN THIS SPECIAL ISSUE: > > > > > > > > > DISABILITY COMMUNITY TO RALLY IN PALM BEACH OVER INACCESSIBILITY > > > > > > Rally - Friday, 10 AM, Palm Beach County Governmental Center > > > > > > Just a few wheelchairs unable to get to the polls can change the way > > > our country is governed! Your one (1) vote is very important .... > > > > > > > > > Greg Smith, host of the nationally syndicated radio talk show "On A > > Roll > > > Talk Radio on Life & Disability" is in route to Palm Beach, Florida > > to > > > speak at a rally in support of accessibility in voting. The rally will > > > be held on Friday, November 10 at 10:00 AM at the Palm Beach County > > > Governmental Center, 301 North Olive Avenue in West Palm Beach. A large > > > turnout of disability community members is expected. > > > > > > As the world watches the recount of the ballots in Florida, Smith and > > > local disability community members in South Florida will raise the > > issue > > > of the importance of total access at the polls. They will deliver > > > statistics about the barriers that people with disabilities face in > > > casting their votes. > > > > > > 54 million Americans fit the definition of disabled, which means any > > > person with a physical or mental condition which substantially limits > > > one or more of life's major activities. > > > > > > "The butterfly ballot represents a convergence of disability and senior > > > issues, and for both populations, this type of inaccessibility is a > > > violation of our most fundamental right as Americans," says Smith. > > > > > > "This ballot stepped over the bounds of being inaccessible to people > > > with disabilities, but even so, I question how many people with > > > traumatic brain injuries, dyslexia, visual impairments and other > > > conditions voted incorrectly and don't even realize it," he said. > > > > > > "We want a clear, understandable ballot to be developed and for all > > > people in Palm Beach County who voted to have the opportunity to vote > > > again," said Shelly Gottsagen, Executive Director of the Coalition for > > > Independent Living. > > > > > > The rally is being organized by On A Roll and the Coalition for > > > Independent Living Options, the Center for Independent Living in West > > > Palm Beach. There are over 400 Centers for Independent Living in the > > > United States which provide advocacy, peer support, independent living > > > skills training, and information and referall to people with > > > disabilities. > > > > > > WAPD strongly supports this rally and urges you to participate in any > > > manner that you can. Join the fight in Florida! The WAPD Florida state > > > chapter will be heavily supporting this rally. > > > > > > WHAT ABOUT VOTING ACCESSIBILITY IN EVERY STATE?!?! > > > > > > Now is the time to be heard! > > > ______________________________________ > > > > >