In 2007, OakTree Digital contracted with the Oregon Secretary of State to develop and implement an accessible HTML-based ballot called the Alternate Format Ballot (AFB). Until Five Cedars was acquired by Enhanced Voting in 2022, the Large Format Ballot (11” x 17”, 18pt font) was available to all voters in Oregon and many voters in Hawaii. A registered voter could receive an AFB (either the HTML version or the Large Print Version) by calling an elections official and requesting it. New registrants could indicate the need for an alternate ballot format (Braille, AFB, Large Print) when registering through the Oregon Centralized Voter Registration (OCVR) system.

Prior to an election, the county elections office typically generated a specific mailing (label generation). The Large Print Ballots were generated, printed locally, inserted in standard ballot envelopes, and mailed to voters in the same manner as standard ballots. Voters on the HTML AFB list still received a paper ballot and the required envelopes.

The HTML AFB was sent directly to the voter via email or on a CD. Voters then completed the ballot independently and privately. The AFB was used in Hawaii to fulfill requests from military personnel or overseas voters who did not receive a ballot and need a ballot quickly to ensure timely return. Once received by the voter, the AFB was accessed (opened) on a personal computer equipped with whatever technology they had available to access a browser (e.g. screenreader or screen magnification applications, sip-puff devices, joy stick, and the like). Using these devices a voter with a disability could access, mark, verify and print the ballot. The voter’s printed ballot (AFB ballot summary page) was then placed into the secrecy envelope and mailed just like any other ballot.

Each state election office in Oregon had at least two accessible computer stations (ACS) that were used to provide access to the AFB for voters with disabilities who did not have independent access to a PC. There is currently no process for electronically submitting the AFB ballot to the county or central ballot repository to provide direct tabulation of the AFB without the duplication process.

As of 2024, the AFB is no longer used in U.S. elections.

Voting with a Disability in Oregon

Oregon Voting Assistance Instructions