Representation of the People Bill: Report Stage briefing on equipment and secret voting for blind and partially sighted voters

All voters, including blind and partially sighted voters, should be able to vote independently and secretly.  

The Elections Act 2022 introduced a new requirement for Returning Officers (ROs) to provide such equipment as is reasonable to enable or make it easier for disabled people to vote independently and in secret at the polling station. This replaced the previous prescribed list of support, increasing flexibility for ROs while also encouraging innovation and speeding up the process for making changes to keep up with assistive technology developments and as gaps in support are identified.

Scottish and Welsh Governments introduced legislation ahead of the May 2026 polls to align the accessibility provisions for Scottish Parliament and Senedd elections with those introduced by the Elections Act for UK elections. We must give guidance on this duty and consult on this guidance. ROs must have regard to the guidance when performing their duties.

Our guidance on assistance with voting for disabled voters includes a list of equipment that Returning Officers should provide as a minimum in all polling stations. Tactile voting devices are included on this list. At the May 2025 elections, we found that 100% of polling stations provided a tactile voting device.

Further to the minimum list of equipment that Returning Officers should provide at all polling stations, our guidance also advises Returning Officers to consider what additional equipment they may need to provide based on the needs of voters in their area. The guidance includes a list of additional equipment it could be helpful to provide, which includes audio solutions. It also highlights that voters with sight loss may use apps on their mobile phones or bring their own assistive equipment to help them read documents in the polling booth or in conjunction with a tactile voting device

We updated our guidance last year following a consultation with voters, electoral administrators and disability groups (including those working on behalf of blind and visually impaired voters).

We received a number of submissions on audio solutions. Views have also been sought through user testing on different audio solutions. We recognise that audio solutions can be a helpful option for some blind and visually impaired voters, but user testing research findings, including trials run by governments in collaboration with charities, have been mixed to date. There have been differing views among participants as to their preferred audio solution, with strengths and limitations identified for each option. Consultation responses we have received also provided a range of differing views.  

We have not seen compelling evidence that audio devices would be the best option to support blind and partially sighted voters in every polling station. It is unlikely to be feasible or proportionate for ROs to procure, fund and set up the number of devices needed to be able to provide one in every polling station, and, considering the range of views identified above, it would not necessarily represent the best or preferred way to support all blind and partially-sighted voters. The UK’s governments and local authorities would need to provide significant additional funding to support mandatory provision of audio devices in every polling station.  

Including audio devices on the list of additional equipment gives Returning Officers the flexibility to fulfil their legal duties and support disabled voters in their area holistically and sensitively. Requiring Returning Officers to provide tactile and audio equipment at every polling station would limit the scope for further flexibility as other more effective solutions are identified in future. 

Our recent post‑poll reports (2023-2025) found that, although Returning Officers provide a range of accessibility equipment and support at polling stations, awareness of this support remains low. Many voters are unaware of the equipment available, or the help that can be provided by polling station staff or companions.

We continue to recommend increasing awareness of the accessibility support available at polling stations. Clear, accessible information should be provided to explain what support voters can expect, including the equipment available and how to request additional assistance. This information should be communicated consistently across multiple channels, online and offline. It should be on poll cards, local authority websites in good time ahead of the election, and within polling stations themselves.

We will support this by continuing to raise awareness among voters, working with UK governments, local authorities, charities and civil society organisations, and through local and national media. Ahead of the May 2026 elections, we published additional accessibility guidance for RO's, including examples of good practice, and launched a new webpage for voters on accessibility at polling stations. We will report on the May 2026 elections later this year.