“It can help filter out a tremor, for example,” said Stephen Blosser, assistive technology specialist in the MSU Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities.

The project began with funding through a grant from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.

Two MSU engineering classes were involved — ECE 480, known as the capstone class, and EGR 100, which is the introductory engineering class, said Blosser.

Many individuals with limited dexterity or problems using their hands choose to fill out absentee ballots or even abstain from voting because their handicap makes using voting machines a struggle, said Sarah Swierenga, director of usability/accessibility research and consulting within University Outreach and Engagement.

“Under the Help America Vote Act, disabled people have the right to vote on their own, privately like every other American,” Swierenga said.

Wheelchair users rely on joysticks, so a joystick design for interacting with a ballot made sense, Swierenga said.

“Ballots today usually involve small button pads or touch screens, and none of these work for people with dexterity issues,” she said.

Mo Gerhardt, a student adviser in MSU’s College of Natural Sciences, has muscular dystrophy and was one of the users who tested the joystick prototype. He said he has chosen to vote absentee for years because of his condition.

“One of the highlights of being able to vote is being able to do it independently,” Gerhardt said in a statement. “When you vote absentee you almost feel detached. You don’t have that same sense on Election Day of making a difference.”

Once the project officials turn in a report, information about the joystick will be available to voting machine manufacturers.