Polled Out?

Back in 2015 I undertook research into barriers preventing disabled people from voting at local and national elections. The issues I uncovered at the time were the 'tip of the iceberg' but did result in raising awareness and some change.

Back then the issues were more about the physical environment; not having a wheelchair accessible booth or even a wheelchair accessible venue. Clients of mine were essentially disenfranchised because of stepped access.

In 2021 the Electoral Commission produced guidelines stating that additional support should be in place at polling stations for people who are blind or visually impaired.

A larger-print version of the ballot paper should be available and also displayed on the wall.

A tactile device should also be available. A tactile device is an overlay which sits over the ballot paper and has tactile and braille numbers associated with each candidate. A member of staff at the polling station can read out the list of candidates and the voter then folds back the appropriate flap in order to make their choice in secret. This did not always happen as it should have.

The key is obviously to ensure that people with a disability can exercise their right to vote independently, in secret and as simply as possible.

The Electoral Commission conducted some research into the May 2023 elections and the introduction to new rules for presentation of photo ID, which resulted in many people being unable to vote. Barriers stemmed from two overlapping issues: a lack of ownership of the appropriate ID, and of awareness of the need to bring it when voting.

It follows that Blind people are not likely to have a driving license.

The Electoral Commission made specific recommendations to the UK Government to improve accessibility at future polls. These include reviewing the list of accepted ID to identify if additional documents could be added, exploring whether the deadline for applying for the free ID could be pushed closer to polling day, and providing options on polling day for voters without accepted ID, such as another registered voter being able to ‘vouch’ for their identity.

Most people still receive a paper Poll Notice informing us of our right to vote, the date and the venue, but is this likely to be accessible to blind voters who can't see the paper copy? Why not send it by email? Given the current cost of postage surely it would save the Government money?

According to the NHS, In the UK, more than 2 million people are living with sight loss. Of these, around 340,000 are registered as blind or partially sighted. Obviously every vote matters but especially this year one would think that politicians would want to make sure of every single vote too.

With thanks to the RNIB for their assistance on this,

"For voters who don’t have any photo ID, there are currently two options. You can either apply for a free voter ID certificate, known as the Voter Authority Certificate, or you can apply for a postal vote, where photo ID is not a requirement. You can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate at any time: they are not specific to a particular election, and do not technically expire.

The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate for the May local elections in England is 5pm on Wednesday 24 April. The deadline to apply for a postal vote for the May local elections in England is 5pm on Tuesday 16 April.

The deadline to apply for a postal vote for the May elections in England is 5pm on Wednesday 17 April."

Here's the link for a Voter Authority Certificate: Apply for photo ID to vote (called a ‘Voter Authority Certificate’) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The legal bit on this (excluding Human Rights) is governed by the Equality Act. The Electoral Commission may well ultimately be responsible for the inappropriate supply of information and resources in relation to making their service accessible to voters. This may result in legal challenges by way of Judicial Review and/or private law actions. As ever, the key to this is to provide evidence of the facts on the day and to act quickly.

Council, Mayoral and General Elections are not of course the only spaces in which people are asked to vote in confidence; many membership organisations are also caught by the same obligations in relation to accessibility and privacy.