A federal lawsuit to require the state of Maryland to provide online absentee ballots designed to protect the privacy of blind and disabled voters went before a federal judge on Wednesday. The ballot-marking system enables the blind to mark their voting selections on a computer. Then, they would print out their ballot as a bar code that could not be read by someone who mails the ballot in for them. Attorneys for the American Federation of the Blind, which filed the lawsuit, are trying to persuade U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett to require Maryland to use the ballots in November’s election. Sixteen other states use the tool. However, attorneys for the American Council of the Blind in Maryland argued in court against implementing the Web-based ballot-marking system, saying it is subject to fraud and computer hackers.
… Robert Stern, an attorney for the American Council of the Blind of Maryland, said the system poses cybersecurity risks that could fundamentally alter how voting takes place in Maryland.
In July, the Maryland State Board of Elections voted 3-1 for the ballot-marking tool, but four votes were needed for approval of a new voting system.
Full Article: Ballots for blind residents case heard in court – The Washington Post.