Voting is an exercise in communication. It is important that persons of lower literacy, or members of communities using different languages, are provided with the information and facilities to allow them to communicate their voting preference effectively and in secret.
Voting Facilities
Additional voting station staff may need to be assigned to voting stations in areas where there are a large number of illiterate or semi-literate people, to act as information officers and to maintain an acceptable voter traffic flow in an environment where assistance to voters may slow the time taken to complete each vote. For such areas instructions to voters within the voting station--posters, signage, voting instruction pamphlets--should as far as possible be available in a visual format.
Even with such assistance, illiterate or semi-literate voters may require further assistance to complete their vote. Provisions for assisted voting will ensure that they may participate in the voting process.
Similarly, where there are voters whose language is not the major language of the country and the language in which the electoral operations are conducted, additional voting station facilities may need to be provided to allow their informed participation in voting. These may include:
• Interpreting services: can be most cost-effectively achieved by employing voting station staff proficient in languages used in the local area. Where persons with the combination of language and technical skills are not available, additional staff to serve as interpreters should be employed;
• Instructions for voting on ballot papers and for other voting forms should be in all languages of significant use within the electoral district. The same holds for multi-lingual signs and voter information posters within the voting station.
Voter Information
Areas of lower literacy and diverse languages provide special challenges for voter information campaigns.
In the case of lower literacy areas, use of print media needs to have strong visual representation and be heavily supplemented with direct oral communication: through meetings, street theatre and displays, simulations and personal contact.
It may be more difficult to cater to different language groups, particularly in diverse societies with a recent history of intensive immigration to scattered locations within the country.
Where language groups are relatively concentrated, provision of bulk voter information materials specifically catering to the language group can be more easily achieved. These could be translation of the major language voter information material. However, consultation with the communities should always occur to ensure that:
• such basic translations do not offend any cultural sensitivities;
• word or visual images and examples used are culturally relevant to the specific language group.
Where language groups are more scattered, this may not be cost-effective targeting of the intended audience. Provision of information through cultural and community groups may be more effective. Similarly production of materials that provide information, in all the languages of the area, on contact points for complete voter information in the relevant languages may be more effective than bulk distribution of material in all languages.
Voters living with Physical Disabilities
Providing Equitable Service: It may seem that providing assistance to people with physical or visual challenges is a luxury service that could be considered in developed countries if there is excess administrative time and additional finances available. However, to deny voting access to a significant proportion of the population through reason of disability is no less egregious in terms of equity than to refuse access to voting facilities to persons in a particular geographic area.
Providing assistance to such voters need not be costly. In general it requires only some careful thought about the methods and locations for imparting voter information and for the act of voting, and in some cases the relaxation of strict vote secrecy provisions. Best practice dictates that requirements for this special category of voters are legislated.
Other standards of service to these voters would also be better codified (though not necessarily minutely detailed as to methods) rather than totally left to administrative discretion.
In drafting such legislation, rules or procedures, community groups catering to physically and visually impaired persons should be consulted to determine equitable and cost-effective ways of meeting their voting facilities needs.
Methods of Voting
Special voting arrangements can assist people living with disabilities in voting. These may be through special services at the voting station, or by providing facilities such as mobile voting stations (see Other special Voting arrangements) or voting by mail.
Whatever method is used it is important that in providing services to voters with physical disabilities, this is undertaken in a sensitive manner that does not further distinguish them from other members of the population.
While use of special materials and perhaps even special areas of voting stations may allow them more comfort in voting, the assignment of special voting days or special voting stations for persons with disabilities is not generally to be encouraged, unless specifically requested by the communities themselves.
Services at Normal Voting Stations
At normal voting stations, physically impaired voters can be assisted by:
• Allowing another person to mark their ballot according to their instructions (see discussion below);
• Providing kerb-side voting facilities, whereby voters who cannot access the voting station (for example wheelchair-bound voters at voting stations with no wheelchair access) vote outside the voting station, having been brought ballot papers and control forms to complete by a voting station staff member, who then returns these to the voting station;
• Provision for disabled voters to apply to vote at a voting station other than the one to which they have been assigned on the voters list, if their assigned voting station is not suitable for disabled access.
Voting by Mail
Provision for voting by mail (see Early voting) may also assist participation by people living with physical disabilities. In addition to normal voting by mail facilities, administration of mail voting can be made simpler by maintaining a register of special categories of voters who wish to have permanent facilities for voting by mail. Where such registers are kept, they should be reviewed before each election (and may be more difficult to provide where there is a new voter registration process for each election).
Provision could also be made for mail voting by persons who, due to disability, cannot mark their vote or sign their name and thus attest to the validity of their mail vote. This is a facility that could be open to abuse, and should be provided only on receipt of verified medical evidence.
If used, registers of such persons must be kept and there be careful checking and control of votes cast by these persons. Where such persons are domiciled in institutions, integrity (but not necessarily costs) can better be served by a mobile voting station visit.
Assistance in Voting
Allowing certain categories of voters to be assisted in voting is always a contentious issue, as it raises questions both about voting secrecy and the possibility of undue influence on the voter to vote in a particular way.
However, for some visually physically challenged voters, as for some illiterate voters, allowing them to be assisted in marking the ballot paper is the only way they will be able to vote. Rules for such assistance need to be very carefully considered, to minimize the possibilities of manipulation.
Different solutions, influenced by the level of trust in societal institutions, are used in determining who may be allowed to assist a physically or visually challenged voter to vote. The appropriate method will be environment specific. However, there are some general guidelines that should be considered:
A person known to and accompanying the voter or designated by the voter would be the first preference for assisting the voter to vote. Such persons would generally be required to be of voting age themselves.
Where such a person votes according to the voters instructions, there should be no need for other persons to monitor the vote. However, there may need to be certain categories of people excluded from accompanying voters to mark their ballots. These would involve categories of persons on whom the voter may be dependent or who may have some societal influence over the voter; for example, for members of the military or other disciplined forces, the exclusion of superior officers would be justified.
If no such person is available, an independently appointed voting station staff member should complete the voter's ballot according to the voter's instructions. In such cases party and candidate representatives present would normally witness the vote, to ensure that the voter's instructions are followed. They should not be allowed to attempt to influence the voter in the vote. Preferably more than one party representative, from different parties, will be present as a witness.
Where voting station staff are political nominees and not independent appointments, a minimum of two representatives from different political parties should be present if a voter requires their assistance in voting.
When ballots are marked or chosen for voters requiring assistance, it should be done within a voting compartment, or booth.
There is the additional question of whether such voters should specifically register as "assisted voters" prior to voting day. This would seem generally to be a bureaucratic imposition that, given implementation of policies in line with the guidelines above, does not enhance the integrity of assisted votes.
Voting Sites
As part of the assessment of the suitability of locations of premises for voting, ease of access for the people with physical disabilities needs to be considered. It is useful for voting location standards in relation to these special categories of voters to be defined in election rules, with alternative voting facilities to be provided where no location with access suitable for voting is available in a given area. Standards should relate to the following considerations:
Entrance and exit access: Buildings used as voting stations should be fully accessible. Ground floor locations with an unobstructed access route are preferable. Slip-resistant access ramps of acceptable gradient (either a permanent building fixture or temporary provided by the electoral management body as part of voting station equipment) are necessary where primary access to the voting station area is by steps.
The voting area surface should be level, stable and non-slip, with sufficient space around voting equipment to allow disabled voters free movement. Split-level voting areas should be avoided.
Lighting: should be sufficient for the visually challenged.
Additional seating: should be provided for physically challenges voters while they wait to vote.
Reserved parking for physically challenged areas should be available close to the voting station entrance in localities where private vehicular transport is heavily used.
Voting Station Equipment
Normal full-height voting compartments will not be suitable for those people unable to stand while voting. Table top voting compartments for completing ballots by hand or positioning of at least one voting machine at a lower level are necessary to vote in secrecy. Table top voting compartments could be of cardboard durable materials, or as simple as an ad hoc arrangement by voting station staff to place a table in a curtained off area.
Ballot boxes should also be positioned at a height and in a location which can be easily reached.
Materials for the Visually Impaired
Consideration should also be given to designing materials that meet the needs of visually impaired voters. These would include:
• Use of large, bold type faces on ballots, forms, posters and information leaflets;
• Provision of ballot templates in Braille
• The printing of a small proportion of ballots and/or information leaflets for use in voting stations in Braille.
Voter Information
The rights of visually or physically challenged voters to obtain assistance in voting at voting stations, the method by which they can exercise this right, and any other special voting arrangements available for their use, should be a basic and prominent feature of voter information campaigns.
Issues that should be considered during information delivery planning include:
Ensuring that essential information about times, location and methods of voting is available in both visual and aural form. This may be as simple as ensuring that print media information (via posters, pamphlets, advertising or information feature placements) is also available through radio and public meeting formats.
Conversely, where there is reliance on public meetings or radio for information dissemination, simple print information documents (which also will need to take into account general literacy levels) should also be readily available.
If there is heavy reliance on television advertising for voter information, care in design is required to ensure that each advertisement imparts the same information both visually and aurally.
Use of community groups and medical facilities for the physically, visually and hearing challenged to relay voter information with environment-appropriate controls that such information is being relayed in a politically neutral manner.
Use of large typefaces, or where possible Braille print in printed voter information materials, both before voting day and for display in voting stations, ballot papers and election forms.
Provision of special information materials if funding is available and where facilities for their use are available. For the visually challenged these could be voter information cassette tapes, or materials in Braille. For the hearing challenged these could encompass use of standard sign language communications at public meetings or in television advertising.
