As you’ll soon gather from every news bulletin these days, the General Election on 7th May is fast approaching. Whether you’ve made up your mind or are still deciding, it’s important to know what practical help is available if you have a physical or sensory impairment.
Everyone across the UK has the right to vote independently and in secret, but what are your rights if you need a little assistance? For many people the main thing can be transport to get to the polling station. If you’ve not requested a postal vote, don’t have your own car and you’re older or have reduced mobility, you’ll likely find the party you want to support more than willing to arrange a lift to get you to the ballot.
If you’re feeling uncertain about being able to cast your vote, don’t worry. Local authorities now have to take proactive steps to ensure that polling stations don’t disadvantage disabled people. Polling station staff are required to be able to explain what assistance is available and are expected to ensure that disabled voters receive the same standard of service as other voters.
Disabled Voters
Disabled voters have the right to request assistance to mark their ballot paper. This can be done by the Presiding Officer, an immediate family member over the age of 18 or a qualified elector.
Visually impaired people or those with limited dexterity can be given a tactile voting device, which is fitted to their ballot paper to aid them to carry out their vote in secret. Alternatively, there are large-print versions of the ballot paper available. However, votes cannot actually be submitted on these – they can only be used for reference and all votes must be marked on the standard-sized paper.
It’s the relevant council’s responsibility to designate polling places within their area and make sure that accessibility for disabled voters is considered. If you find that you can’t enter your polling station because of a physical disability, your ballot paper can be given to the Presiding Officer to take to the elector.
If you have any problems on election day, you should call your local authority to try to resolve this. You can also call the Electoral Commission on 0333 103 1928 or check the information on their website.
