City hall is renting a device that allows blind and visually impaired voters in Prince George to cast ballots during the civic elections without relying on someone else to do the marking for them.
The AutoMARK ballot-marking system will be in use during advance voting days at city hall on Wed., Nov. 5 and Wed., Nov. 12, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voters can put on head phones and listen to instructions or rely on a touch-screen monitor displaying large text print to guide them through the process.
In prior elections, they had to rely on a friend, relative or election officer guide them through the voting process and the hope is the AutoMARK will convince more visually impaired voters to show up at the polls.
City hall came up with the idea which, in turn, won approval from the local branch of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.
"Voting is such a fundamental right, we thought we would try and do something to make it more inclusive," said the city's chief election officer Walter Babicz.
The device won a positive review from Bari Colebank, who is visually impaired.
"It's a lot better for independence," he said.
Sharon Pratt, CNIB Prince George's client and volunteer services manage called the AutoMARK a "step forward."
"It tells people with a disability that they are a very valuable part of society," Pratt said.
Those who need help casting a ballot but are unable to make it to either of the advance voting opportunities can still vote on election day, Sat., Nov. 15, using the old system of depending on someone else to mark their ballots according to their wishes.
There are about 400 members of Canadian National Institute for the Blind in the Prince George area. Colebank, a CNIB volunteer, said local members will be made aware the machine is available for use.
