The Right to Vote and the Ability to Use that Right
The right to vote is given to all persons qualified as electors. Often poor choice of polling site or
limited availability of adequate buildings discriminates against those who are disabled or infirm.
Whilst in many electoral systems provision may be made for voters in these categories to cast
their ballot by post, through an early voting process or through a mobile ballot box, most electors
prefer whenever possible to vote in person. For information about absentee voting, see Absentee Voting.
It is highly desirable for full disabled access facilities to be given at a polling station and in
selecting polling sites, this consideration should be a key factor. Where it is impossible to
provide disabled voter access, consideration should be given to arrangements whereby voting
materials can be brought to that voter if he or she is within the precincts of the polling station.
These arrangements may not be possible in all cases but an electors should not be precluded from
voting because they are unable to ascend a line of steps into a polling site. Disabled voters may
not be able to use normal voting booths, but there are many specialist suppliers who will provide
booths adapted to make voting for the disabled easy. This often requires very little effort - just
some advance planning to ensure that EVERYONE who wants to vote can participate!
Staff Assistance
Apart from direct help to voters in exercising their vote (where the law allows this), the attitude
of staff to voters with disabilities has a considerable influence on the disabled voter's perception
of how the process worked for them. In poll worker training manuals or instructions, it should be
made absolutely clear what provisions there are in the law for assistance to disabled voters. It
should also be made clear that using whatever discretion the poll worker has is equally important.
Guidance can be given to disabled voters as to the best time during polling to come to the polling
site - some periods are much busier than others. Security staff or other staff controlling entrances
can give assistance to the disabled, enabling them to access the site easily. The attitude should
be that the poll workers are there to help the disabled elector to cast the vote, not make it even
more difficult for them.
Review of Facilities
There are many non-governmental or civic organisations taking a special interest in the rights
and problems facing disabled persons. At election time these organisations can be used to
undertake surveys of how disabled voters found the process and to look at polling sites and
identify problems. The election period is a very busy one for electoral managers and the day(s)
when polling is taking place is probably the busiest time of all. Getting separate and independent
help and advice to look at these issues will assist the electoral manager and allow problems
identified to be put right in time for the next elections. A number of surveys of this type took
place in the United Kingdom (GB) at the 1997 parliamentary elections. These surveys identified
two main areas of concern. The first related to the physical conditions in many polling sites,
which caused problems to disabled voters in terms of difficulties of access, difficulties in
understanding the explanations given by staff, difficulties in voting due to the size of the print on
the ballot papers and instructions, and the poor design of the voting booths. The second
concerned the attitude of the poll workers - some were much more helpful (within the law) than
others. From this work three main areas of activity were identified:
- the need for more work on improving access to polling sites;
- the need for better
visual materials on sites, particularly the ballot papers and instructions;
- the need for more training for staff to get all of these to a high standard.
Assistance for Blind and Partially Sighted Electors
There are a number of ways in which these voters can be helped:
- Elections Canada has designed a template which fits over the ballot paper - see Template for Blind Voters - Elections Canada
- which allows the voter to make a choice after being told (in some cases by audio cassette) the
order of candidates on the ballot paper. This practice enables the voter's choice to remain secret.
- Ballot papers and instructions can be printed oversize to enable partially sighted voters to
make their choice.
- Ballot papers can be prepared in braille - whilst this can be costly it does ensure that the vote
is secret.
Many electoral laws provide for assistance to be given to the voter. The most common forms of
assistance are for the vote to be marked by a poll worker in accordance with the voter's
instructions. Sometimes this assistance is carried out in the presence of an observer, chosen by
the voter; in other cases, all party observers present witness the vote. Another option is for the
voter to be assisted by a family member or friend who marks the ballot paper in accordance with
the instructions given. A further variation of this arrangement is when the poll workers keep a list
of all voters whose votes are marked with assistance from a poll worker or family member.
Specially designed voting booths will also assist electors. Of course, access for wheelchair users,
seating for those with walking difficulties, extra lighting, recorded instructions using earphones
and use of text phones in the electoral manager's office are all ways in which the process can be
made easier. Where there are large numbers of voters who find difficulty with the process, visits
can be arranged to groups in advance of the poll so that the process can be explained without
pressure and with ample time taken to ensure all the electors concerned know how to vote.
Running simulated polls is particularly helpful in allowing this type of elector to become familiar
with the questions asked and procedures.
In some countries polling sites are established for the exclusive use of blind voters.
Special Voting Day
For the Republic of South Africa elections in April 1994, a Special Voting Day was arranged
which was the designation of a separate day for voters with special needs. This day, when around
10% of the polling stations were opened, immediately preceded the 2 days of ordinary voting.
Despite some difficulties ascribed to the late drafting of the electoral law, the special voting day
was generally regarded as an innovative and worthwhile way of ensuring that all voters could
participate in these historic elections. One of the main criticisms related to differences in process
between special voting day and the other days was that the voters were not allowed to place the
ballot paper in the box personally. Some of the conclusions drawn on accessibility issues for
these elections related to the need for legislation to be drafted and processes settled in
consultation with groups representing special needs voters. 21
The Disability Manifesto22
This document was produced by a group of United Kingdom (GB) organisations involved with
disabled rights and it is set out below:
1. All buildings used as polling stations should be fully accessible to disabled
people....Disabled people should be consulted on the design and siting of ramps and other access
features. The provision of Braille and large print ballot papers would enable blind and partially
sighted people to exercise their right to vote.
2. People should be informed of their right to assistance in voting at polling stations.
3. People living in long stay hospitals must have the right to use the hospital address and must
have equal access to the voting process.
4. The postal and proxy voting procedures should be overhauled to include voter registration
campaigns for disabled people, the simplifying of forms and removal of the requirement to have
forms signed by a general practice physician.
5. Party manifestos and other election material should be produced in accessible formats e.g.
Braille, tape and large print for visually impaired people and in Sign Language on video for deaf
people and on tape for people with learning disabilities. All party political broadcasts should be
subtitled and there should be Sign Language interpretation on at least one channel of each
broadcast. Public meetings should be held in accessible venues, which should also have
induction loops for people with hearing aids and communication support (e.g. Sign Language
interpreters) for deaf people. Materials should be available in the first language of the individual
voter.
6. MPs should hold meetings in accessible venues and have
text phones so that deaf people can contact them by phone. If a deaf or blind person wants to
meet their MP, then the MP should be required to pay for communication
support.'
Silent Enrollment on the Voters Lists
Where information from the voters lists is publicly available some citizens may be deterred from
going onto the lists and voting because their whereabouts may become known to a person who
may cause them some harm. In looking at accessibility issues the electoral manger should also
have regard to ways of ensuring that citizens in this category can enrol and vote without
comprimising their personal safety.
For further information see Physically Handicapped Voters.
