Camacho said with the help of Northern Marianas College who conducted a survey during the congressional delegate election on Nov. 2, they were able to identify some areas of concerns. One of these is the lack of confidentiality among individuals with disabilities.
Currently, whenever a person with a disability will cast his vote, a poll worker reads aloud the names of candidates.
This is prone to potential abuse, Camacho said.
The CNMI, he added, recently received a $180,000 grant from the U.S. Administration on Developmental Disabilities under its Project of Natural Significance of the Development Disability Act of 2000.
Camacho said the Help America Vote Act, or HAVA, provides funding to eligible states and local government units for making poll places accessible to individuals with disabilities.
Although the CNMI has already conducted two federal elections, there has to be a statute that will include the commonwealth on the list of local government units where HAVA is applicable.
But, he added, the US Administration on Developmental Disabilities can award a grant to the CNMI.
Aside from exploring the accessibility of polling places, the grant the CNMI received will pay for the training of election officials, poll workers and election volunteers who will learn how to help individuals with disabilities participate in elections. It will also train voters with disabilities to use voting equipment.
The CNMI has some 9,000 individuals with disabilities. Approximately 8,000 voters, including the manamko’, require assistance when voting.
Once the federally funded project is implemented, Camacho said the CNMI will be able to buy accessible polling equipment, teach people how to use it, train poll workers and have a more accessible voter registration process.
