If you have a physical disability or are unable to read or write, you may ask an election judge to help you mark your ballot for you. Or you can bring a friend or relative who, with the permission of the election judge, can go into the voting booth with you and help you vote.
Every polling place in Montana has at least one specialized voting machine that enables people with disabilities to vote independently and privately.
If you would like to designate an agent to assist you with the voting process, just download an application for designation of an agent. Deliver the signed application to your local election office.
The Secretary of State’s office and the 56 counties of Montana have teamed up to offer the ES&S AutoMARK™, breakthrough ballot-marking technology that allows voters with disabilities and other special needs to mark a ballot privately and independently when using an optical scan voting system.
When using the AutoMARK, you vote on the same ballot that all other voters are using. The AutoMARK does not store any votes, it simply assists you to mark your ballot. The AutoMARK is easy to use. Let the Election Judge at your polling place know if you would like to vote on the AutoMARK.
The ES&S AutoMARK™ voter assist terminal is a ballot-marking system designed to provide privacy and accessibility to voters who are blind, vision-impaired, or have a disability or condition that would make it difficult or impossible to mark a ballot in the usual way. The technology also provides language assistance to voters who are more comfortable speaking a different language or who need help to better understand written instructions. (http://sos.mt.gov/Elections/Disabilities/index.asp)
A message from the Missoula County Election Administrator, Vickie Zeier:
The Federal General Election will be held at the polls on November 2, 2010. If you would like to use an AutoMark they will be available at all polling places on Election Day. If you are an Absentee Ballot voter and need to use the AutoMark to mark your ballot, beginning October 4, the AutoMark will be available at the Fairgrounds, Building 15 – Fine Arts Building, 1101 South Avenue West for absentee voting.
If you need to use a sip & puff switch it will be available at the fairgrounds for the 30-day period. On Election Day the sip & puff switch will be available at all polling places and the fairgrounds.
If you have questions, please contact the Elections’ Office phone number is 258-4751.
Vickie Zeier, Missoula County Election Administrator
