WHICH SPECIAL MEASURES ARE THERE FOR DISABLED VOTERS?
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Virtually every polling station is wheelchair accessible, and there are special booths to ensure privacy of voting.
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In those few polling stations with no wheelchair access, the Presiding Officer will offer assistance to the resident to enter the Station, or will be authorised to bring a ballot paper out to that person to ensure that they can fill it in. This ballot paper will then be folded and delivered to the ballot box by the Presiding Officer.
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Visitors with limited vision have a number of options. They can be accompanied into the booth by a companion or the Presiding Officer – this person will then read out the ballot paper and will be told where to make the voting mark. In this instance, the second person will be required to sign a declaration to indicate that they have recorded the vote truly and faithfully.
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An alternative lies in a strip of plastic, imprinted with Braille numbers as well as large type. The Presiding officer will read out the list of candidates to the elector, who will then be guided to a booth. The strip of plastic is attached to the ballot paper so that the numbers line up with the candidate’s names and it also features flexible tabs – so if the person wishes to vote for the third candidate on the list, then they pull back the third tab on strip and make their mark directly underneath it. The paper is then folded and placed into the ballot box by the elector as normal.
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A large print version of the ballot paper will also be available at the polling station.