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Video Magnifiers To Help Visually Impaired Voters

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SUNCOAST NEWS STAFF REPORT

Published: October 11, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - Video magnifiers will help visually impaired voters cast ballots at all early voting sites beginning Oct. 20.

The service, intended for visually impaired voters who still possess some useful vision, is in addition to the audio ballot or magnifier sheet offered at the polls in the past, Supervisor of Elections Brian E. Corley explained in a press release.

Lighthouse for the Visually Impaired & Blind teamed up with elections officials to provide the service for early voting, which will continue through Nov. 1.

Video magnifiers use a camera to magnify printed material and display it on a television screen or computer monitor.

Magnification levels and reading distances can vary according to the needs of the voter.

The magnifiers, on loan from the Lighthouse nonprofit agency, are generally useful to someone who has at least the ability to read the largest headlines in a newspaper, officials said.

The three West Pasco early voting locations are:

•Supervisor of Elections Office, Suite 110, West Pasco Government Center, 7530 Little Road, New Port Richey.

•Hudson Regional Library, 8012 Library Road.

•South Holiday Branch Library, 4649 Mile Stretch Drive.

In addition, a workshop for visually impaired voters will take place from 10 a.m. until noon Wednesday, Oct. 15, at the Lighthouse office, 8610 Galen Wilson Blvd., Port Richey.

The workshop will offer instruction on how to use the audio ballot at the polls, tips for voting by mail, and how and why to update signatures.

For more information on the workshop, call the Lighthouse office at 727-815-0303. For election information call, toll free, 1-800-851-8754 or check the Supervisor of Elections Office Web site, www.pascovotes.com>.

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