Blind group moves to drop suit over voting machines in Ohio

Associated Press, June 11, 2004



Organizations that advocate on behalf of blind voters filed have filed lawsuits in at least three states -- Florida, Ohio and California -- that aim to compel these states to purchase touchscreen voting machines. The National Federation for the Blind, which filed such a suit in Ohio, moved Friday to drop its Ohio lawsuit. The California lawsuit, Benavidez v. Shelley, is scheduled to be heard in Los Angeles on July 2.



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The federation said at least five counties mentioned in the April 20 federal lawsuit -- Hardin, Lorain, Mercer, Putnam and Trumbull -- have moved forward with blind-friendly direct recording voting machines.



As for the others, the Baltimore-based federation said dropping the lawsuit would allow more time for training and implementing machines allowing the blind to vote securely and without assistance.