Eddie Perez

7/ Remote accessible technologies are esp. important for voters w/ disabilities because transportation is one of the biggest challenges many voters w/ disabilities face...it may prevent them from going to an in-person voting place. Many w/ disabilities rely on public transit.

8/ In addition to challenges leaving the home, voters with disabilities may also have obstacles to being able to hand-mark a paper ballot (in comparison to many voters will simply use a pen to mark a paper ballot through traditional absentee voting during the COVID-19 crisis).

9/ Blind voters can't see the ballot, and may need an audio ballot, for example; and others may be unable to hold a pen to mark a paper ballot. So with more by-mail voting during the pandemic, election officials must also provide solutions for voters with disabilities.

10/ The availability of remote accessible technologies that allow voters to receive and mark ballots at home may be the difference between voters with disabilities being able to fully participate in our democracy...or being disenfranchised.

11/ Remote voting tools are also essential for military and overseas voters. These Americans who are unable to vote in traditional polling places cannot be forgotten.

12/ B/c some disabled or overseas voters may not be able to vote in-person, or b/c they may require assistive tech, the *delivery* & *marking* of blank ballots through electronic means may be necessary. BUT...how is the marked ballot *returned*? THAT is the critical issue.

13/ For remote digital voting, the method of ballot return draws a bright line btw those forms of tech w/ moderate risk vs. those that are so risky that they should be taken off the table. To cast the vote, mailing a paper ballot is acceptable. Electronic transmission is not.

14/ In the @CISAgov guidelines referenced above (#2), CISA notes, "Securing the return of voted ballots via the internet while ensuring ballot integrity and maintaining voter privacy is difficult, if not impossible, at this time.” "We view electronic ballot return as high risk.”