Disabled Oregon voters get the chance to vote using the iPad

[iDan]

This week’s US election in Oregon announces itself to be a very interesting one, as some voters will be allowed to cast their ballots from iPads. Election officials will be equipped with iPads and will be visiting voters to allow them to vote more easily. The State of Oregon will be the first to allow voters to use the iPad. Electronic officials in Oregon said that they wanted to make voting as convenient as possible. It has been about five years since the office has invested in a new system for voters with disabilities – a lifetime when it comes to technology. So, with the system nearing the end of its life, the office decided to experiment with new approaches, including laptops and various tablet computers. The iPad, offers a huge amount of flexibility for disabled people. For those who have issues with vision, the iPad can even read the ballot aloud. They also have the option of adjusting text size and colors. Voters can sign with their fingers or with pens, whichever suits their needs. And the tablet can be controlled using sip-and-puff wands for those who don’t have full use of their hands. Apple has donated five iPads to Oregon to test out the program, but the Oregon state government had to spend $72,000 on the software that runs on the iPads. To deploy the iPad statewide, if the pilot program is successful, the state would need to buy 72 iPads (2 per county) for a total of $ 36,000. If successful, this program will most likely spread country wide.

Source: Appleinsider

 

[jsh1120]

Interesting. Oregon eliminated polling places a few years ago. All of their elections are conducted by mail. Most of Washington State has followed suit. This appears to be another innovation they're trying.