Wake County commissioners approved new election devices on Monday to help visually impaired voters.
This comes after the local elections board gave initial approval for the devices last month. The ballot marking device, called ExpressVote, allows people with visual disabilities to mark their ballot unassisted with the use of touch screen technology.
“Our goal and our board's goal is we want to make sure that we're inclusive for our community [and] that we are providing this ballot marking device as a tool for our voters to use to be able to have that assistance with marking their ballot,” said Olivia McCall, the deputy director of the Wake County Board of Elections.
ExpressVote has different accessibility features, including intuitive interfaces, braille, and headphones. The tool is expected to roll out to all 210 precincts in Wake County by the next Election Day.
McCall said the device will also help people with several types of disabilities, not just those who are visually impaired.