Inclusive Voting Portal Launched in Time for Election Day

November 2018 - Democracy Live, a Seattle-based company, recently launched an online voting portal for Americans who cannot vote via the customary ballot system. This new and potentially transformative method of voting could greatly shape how Americans engage with elections. The Democracy Live company calls the online ballot OmniBallot. PR Newswire highlights various causes that prevent voters from marking the ballot, such as military stationing, a disability, or living abroad. Currently, there are over twenty-five million Americans who fall within this category that are eligible to use the OmniBallot system. The design of this online ballot increases accessibility for individuals with disabilities who often are unable to access physical polling places. "The Democracy Live system is a marvelous example of a universally designed ballot system. It provides a valuable resource for all voters, including those with disabilities who often lack access to this critical information" said Debbie Cook of the University of Washington Center for Technology and Disability Studies.

The OmniBallot system works through Amazon AWS or Microsoft Azure, depending on the location of the voter. These two software systems allow the ballots to be delivered promptly to their respective voting district. Democracy Live is hopeful that OmniBallot will be used widely in the coming elections. [Source: PR Newswire]