Guidance for Returning Officers - Assistance with voting for disabled voters

Through our work with civil society organisations and charities we have identified a range of equipment that can help to overcome the known barriers faced by disabled people. Many of these items are readily available at limited cost and can have a real and positive impact on the experience of voters in the polling station.

The following equipment should, as a minimum, be provided in all polling stations to support disabled voters: 

• chairs/seating – this provides a place to rest for voters who cannot stand for long periods and a seat for voters who would like to take some time to think before entering the polling booth
• magnifiers – these can provide support for voters who are visually impaired to vote independently by increasing the size of the text on a document. The strength of magnifier needed will vary depending on the amount of vision a voter has. You may need to provide more than one strength of magnifier depending on the needs of the voters at a particular polling station
• tactile voting device – tactile voting devices provide support for voters who are visually impaired to mark their vote on the ballot paper in the correct place, provided it is placed on the ballot paper correctly. They have been found to provide assistance in completing the ballot paper once visually impaired voters know the position on the ballot paper of the candidate for whom they wish to vote. They do not allow blind voters to vote independently unless they also have accessible information about the order of the candidates on the ballot paper, for example an audio or braille version of the ballot paper
• polling booth at wheelchair level – helps to ensure that voters who use a wheelchair are able access a lower writing surface to ensure they can cast their vote in secret in a booth that is accessible
• badges identifying polling station staff – these help voters more easily identify who is a member of staff in the polling station and can therefore be approached for assistance. The type of badge and text used can be tailored to suit individual local circumstances. For example, you could provide polling station staff with a badge stating their first name and making clear their role and that they are happy to help
• pencil grip – these can help voters with dexterity impairments to more easily hold and use a pencil independently
• ramps (for buildings with steps) – these support access to a polling station for voters who use a wheelchair or have difficulty using steps
• temporary alerters or temporary doorbells for any doors that are required to remain shut during the day (for example, fire doors) – these provide a way for voters to let polling station staff know that they need assistance to open the door so they can access the polling station. These do not need to be permanently fixed or installed in a building used as a polling station but can be temporarily placed at an accessible level on a table or chair next to any doors that must remain closed
• appropriate lighting – some polling station venues have good lighting but others may need additional lighting at the desk; to ensure that voters can clearly see the faces of staff, and in the polling booths; to support voters with visual impairments to be able to read and complete the ballot paper
• parking spaces reserved for disabled voters (where parking is available at the venue) – this ensures that disabled voters can park as close as possible to the polling station

You are not limited to providing only the equipment shown in the list above, and you should not reduce or remove any equipment that you have previously provided to support disabled voters at polling stations in your area.

Additional equipment that could support disabled voters

Your work to understand the needs of voters in your area will be important to help you identify further equipment that it is appropriate to provide in polling stations in your local area that would enable or make it easier for disabled voters to vote independently and in secret. Examples of other equipment or support you could provide include:

• Hearing induction loop – these provide support to voters who wear hearing aids to communicate in the polling station. Some buildings have an induction loop installed as standard, in which case you should make use of it, and where there is not one available then a portable hearing loop could be used.
• British Sign Language (BSL) Video Relay Interpreting (VRI) service – this enables voters who use BSL to video call an interpreter who can translate what is being said between the polling staff and the voter.
• Audio solutions – these are mechanisms which enable voters to listen to pre-recorded ballot paper details, including the candidate list, either in the polling station or beforehand, such as telephone helplines, recording links on the local authority website, or mobile audio devices. These can be used together with the tactile voting device or other devices, to enable blind and partially sighted voters to mark their ballot paper independently. Combined audio/tactile solutions are also available and can be provided.
• Information available in easy read format - easy read refers to the presentation of text in an accessible, easy to understand format. It is often useful for people with learning disabilities and may also be beneficial for people with other conditions affecting how they process information. While the notices for display in polling stations are prescribed, you could consider how to also display these in pictorial or easy read formats in and around the polling station.
• Information available in large print formats – Large print is defined as being 16pt Arial or bigger and conform with clear print guidelines concerning layout, use of fonts and images. It is often useful for voters who have a visual impairment and may also be beneficial to older voters, dyslexic voters and voters who have dementia.
• Support for clinically vulnerable electors – alongside increasing ventilation of the room either through opening windows or doors or using HEPA filters where windows or doors cannot be kept open, you can ensure face masks are provided for polling station staff to use (using see a mask, wear a mask as a basis) and promote the use of social distancing when interacting with clinically vulnerable voters. Your staff training should cover how you can offer to conduct photographic ID checks for mask wearers, including whether checks could be conducted outside for these voters if photographic ID is required for your poll. 

The equipment and resources you provide to support disabled voters should be kept in full view and clearly marked so that they can be identified and accessed easily.