Empowering Voters with disabilities
News: Hawaii's AFB in three languages!
HTML ballots can be marked on PC's, Mac's, iPads, iPhones, Surface tablets, ChromeBooks, etc.
Unsighted voters mark their ballots using industry standard screen readers.
more details→
Ballots are designed to work with bi-modal assistive devices.
more details→Large PDF ballots (11"x 17", 18pt font) are generated for voters needing larger, easier to read fonts.
more details→Besides vote-by-mail, AFB ballots also support military and other overseas voters.
more details→Voter's ballot summaries are reproduced before entering a certified election system.
more details→Any peripheral device that can connect to a USB port can be used by a voter to navigate and make ballot selections:
Sip and Puff, Jelly Beans, Joysticks, etc.
Because the digital AFB is a single HTML file it does not require a live internet connection for the voter to use it. It can be downloaded by the voter or emailed to them to mark at their leisure.
Five Cedars Group's Alternate Format Ballot Generator process creates accessible HTML and large print (PDF) ballots from sets of county XML or CSV ballot definition files. The ballot definition files are exported from the state or county’s election management system insuring the AFB's are identical in content with their traditional printed ballots. The HTML ballots contain voter instructions, candidate races, ballot measures and office holder recalls.
The HTML ballots are self-contained, meaning once they are loaded into a browser they do not request any data, graphics or navigation from a server. Once a voter receives a ballot, there is no internet connection required. Voters can mark their choices, print their Ballot Summary and complete the voting process, literally anywhere. All the ballot’s functions are self-contained in the JavaScript contained in the ballot. This is important because:
The HTML ballots leverage W3C and WCAG 2.2 AA Accessibility Guidelines. Ballots generated by the AFB Ballot Generator perform all the functions required to meet accessibility standards outlined in NIST’s report “Principles and Guidelines for Remote Ballot Marking Systems”.
The large print PDF ballots sizes can be selected as either 8.5" by 14" (16 point font) or 11" by 17" (18 point font). The font used on these ballots was developed by the American Printing House for the Blind specifically for low vision readers.
Both AFB formats work within existing USPS, fax or email ballot return processes, accommodating vote-by-mail, absentee or UOCAVA voters.
The Five Cedars Group was founded by John Schmitt in 1993, several years after leaving a technical marketing position at Intel. Five Cedars began as a digital marketing agency. Over the years, we grew to be one of Portland’s premier digital agencies with clients such as Intel, Microsoft, NVIDIA, OHSU, etc.
In 2007, to meet the requirements of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), the Oregon Secretary of State decided to build an accessible ballot that would work within their existing vote by mail process instead of purchasing accessible voting systems for each county office. They envisioned voters with disabilities downloading an HTML ballot and marking it using their own accessible devices from home.
Five Cedars won the contract and, in close partnership with the state's HAVA coordinator, the first Alternate Format Ballot (AFB) was born. Oregon's AFB ballots were first used by voters with disabilities during the May 2008 National Primary.
Over the past fourteen years, the Alternate Format Ballot has touched thousands of lives in a positive way. Besides helping voter's with disabilities, the 40 counties of Oregon and Hawaii use the AFB's for military and overseas voters (UOCAVA).
Five Cedars Group, Inc.
1500 NW Bethany Blvd., Suite 200
Beaverton, OR 97006
503-536-1280
Email: AFB_info@fivecedarsgroup.com