Access to Voting Must Improve

All election venues should be as accessible as possible, the Electoral Commission has reported.

In its report that suggested boundary changes to four constituencies, the Electoral Commission has made a total of 13 recommendations.

Following the 2021 General Election, a Commonwealth Parliamentary Association report found that half of the polling stations it attended weren’t independently accessible to voters with mobility issues.

Picking up this baton, the Electoral Commission found that there were issues identified by wheelchair and mobility scooter users, but also that ‘some people with sight impairment, hearing impairment and those with neurodiverse conditions, for example those on the autistic spectrum, also reported experiencing difficulties with the voting process or indeed could not vote in-person’.

It said: ‘Poor accessibility can also prevent or deter people who are carers or those who are elderly or infirm from voting. More broadly, if a polling station lacks adequate parking and/or is not on a regular bus route then it will not be sufficient to ensure that the premises itself is accessible.

‘The absence of dropped kerbs close to polling stations also creates a barrier for people who use wheelchairs, mobility scooters, crutches etc. The same issues apply across the whole electoral process, whether attending a pre-election meeting, a polling station, or a count.’

The EC did note that some improvements have been made, but that more can be done, including ensuring that all polling stations have lower-level polling booths, while considerations should also be given for how people with neurodiverse conditions can vote in other settings.

You can read the full report here.