Secretary of State Kim Wyman announces launch of a major upgrade to the state Elections Division’s popular MyVote online service, with an emphasis on accessibility.

The new version of MyVote was developed in collaboration with the Statewide Disability Advisory Committee, which includes voters who are blind or have sight impairment; the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library; election experts in Washington and other states; and designers and application developers.

Wyman said the resulting product is “mobile-friendly, easy-to-use and accessible. This project was born out of our belief that voter information should be accessible to all.”

MyVote gives voters important voter information, including registration details, contact information for their elected officials, an online voters’ guide, location of ballot drop boxes and voting centers, and their ballot status.

MyVote is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese.

Voters can also receive a fully accessible e-ballot online that they can return by mail by using MyBallot. Voters can get more information about online replacement ballots in their county by visiting myvote.wa.gov or contacting their County Auditor or Elections Department.

Voters also can update their registration if their address or other information has changed. Voters need a Washington driver’s license or state ID card in order to update their information online or they can print and return a voter registration application to their local County Auditor or Elections Department.

MyVote was independently tested for usability, using 14 different combinations of internet browsers and screen readers. The Elections Division welcomes feedback for possible improvements, said Director Lori Augino.

“We set out to create a new and improved voter tool that is accessible to all voters across Washington state,” she said. “We want to connect citizens to their government with an easy-to-use and streamlined interface.

“We want to put quality information in the hands of voters across the state to help them make voting choices,” Wyman said.

A backgrounder on accessibility improvements: http://tinyurl.com/hb3ecfl