New Accessible Vote By Mail System Available for the November 2, 2021 City of Cambridge Municipal Election

The City of Cambridge Election Commission has recently launched a new accessible vote by mail system to allow voters with certain disabilities to cast their ballots independently and privately. Voters who are blind or have vision impairments, mobility/dexterity disabilities, or other disabilities that make it difficult or impossible to access a paper vote by mail ballot can now cast their ballots from home using the Omni Balloting Portal, which is compatible with screen readers and other text-to-speech software.

To obtain an accessible vote by mail ballot, voters must submit:

1. A written request to vote by mail that includes the voter’s name, address at which the voter is registered to vote, date of birth, email address or phone number, and signature. An application form can be found here.
2. A statement confirming the voter is requesting use of the accessible vote by mail system because of a disability that prevents them from marking or otherwise completing a paper ballot.

The voter may use a mouse or stylus to sign, or may attach an image of their handwritten signature, in lieu of a hand-written signature on the application. A typed signature is acceptable only if accompanied by a statement that the voter is unable to insert an electronic hand-drawn signature as a result of a disability.

Requests can be sent by email, fax or mail:

• Email: elections@cambridgema.gov
• Fax: 617-349-4366
• Mail: Cambridge Election Commission, 51 Inman Street, Cambridge, MA 02139

Upon receipt of the request, voters will be contacted with further instructions, including a secure login and credentials to access the electronic ballot. Please contact us at elections@cambridgema.gov or call (617) 349-4361 if you have any questions.

If a qualified voter has already requested a ballot by mail for the Municipal Election but has not yet returned it, they may email us a request for the new accessible ballot online. For voters who have not yet requested to vote by mail, the deadline to request a ballot is 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 27, 2021.