Adding Large Print to the List of Accessible Oregon Ballots

One of the greatest things that you can do as a citizen of a country is vote. For many years, voting has been difficult or impossible for people with print disabilities to do on their own, but the state of Oregon is changing that. Oregon is one of the few states in the country that uses vote by mail. This system allows them to make their ballots accessible because they aren't relying on machines, and people don't have to come to polling places where volunteers have to be trained. Last year the state unveiled the Accessible Format Ballot or AFB which I used to vote in the general election in November. This ballot allows voters with print disabilities to fill out their ballots using their computer.

To go along with the AFB, Oak Tree Digital announced on April 24th that it is working with the Oregon Secretary of State to create a Large Print Ballot or LPB. This will be a great option for people with low vision who just need the print to be larger in order to read their ballot comfortably. As with the AFB, voters will simply need to call their local county elections office before the election to request either the LPB or the AFB.

To all my Oregon readers, please spread the word.

To read about my experience with using the AFB please read:
“I Have Officially Let My Voice Be Heard”
“Getting to Vote on My Own”

What do you think other states can do to make their ballots accessible? If you've never gotten to vote on your own, how would having an accessible ballot change your opinion about voting?