Connecticut will have new devices for disabled voters

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Connecticut is providing disabled voters with a new way to cast ballots this year.

Secretary of the State Denise Merrill says all of the state’s polling places will be equipped Tuesday with special computer tablets for the disabled.

Voters can use a touch screen on the tablet or an audio program designed for those with visual impairments or difficulty reading.

The audio system, which includes headphones, allows voters to respond to audio cues by pushing buttons on a telephone-style keypad to choose among candidates.

Choices can be reviewed before being sent to a printer, which marks a paper ballot to be fed through the same tabulator used by other voters.

The system replaces one that allowed disabled voters to cast ballots using a designated phone and fax machine.