February 4, 2020

People With Disabilities Are Not Always Keen on Paper Ballots

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The Iowa counting fiasco has prompted a resurgence of folks who think we should conduct all elections using paper ballots. It worked for decades, so why not now? Who needs all this techno gimcrackery anyway?

I happen to agree with this, despite paper ballots being responsible for the election of George W. Bush in 2000. However, many, many people with disabilities don’t agree, and they have the ADA on their side. So keep this in mind when you issue your clarion call for paper ballots. As a backup to machines they’re fine, but as a replacement not so much.

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DECEMBER IS MAKE OR BREAK

A full one-third of our annual fundraising comes in this month alone. That’s risky, because a strong December means our newsroom is on the beat and reporting at full strength—but a weak one means budget cuts and hard choices ahead.

With only days left until December 31, we've raised about half of our $400,000 goal—but we need a huge surge in reader support to close the remaining gap. Whether you've given before or this is your first time, your contribution right now matters.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep- pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do. That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

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