Source · Select Committees · Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Recommendation 23
23
Paragraph: 109
We welcome the Government’s move to update electoral law to widen the requirement for anyone...
Recommendation
We welcome the Government’s move to update electoral law to widen the requirement for anyone and everybody who may have a disability or a need for support in casting their vote. We also take on board the concerns expressed by the Royal National Institute for the Blind and Sense about the potential for the legal protection for blind and partially sighted people to vote independently. We recommend that the Electoral Commission be tasked with creating minimum standards for the equipment to be provided by electoral administrators. These standards should seek to ensure that people are able to vote independently where possible. The Committee recommends that the legal protection for blind and partially sighted people to vote independently is maintained as a requirement.
Paragraph Reference:
109
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
It is integral to our democracy that everybody is able to make their voice heard and that elections are accessible for all those eligible to vote. As the Government has outlined previously, the Electoral Commission will produce guidance to support Returning Officers in the delivery of the new measures. Whilst the final content of the guidance will be for the Electoral Commission, the Government is working with the Commission to help ensure that the guidance provides clear and thorough details of support that should be provided to disabled voters. The intent of the accessibility measures in the Elections Bill is to widen the support provided to disabled voters and remove barriers to change and innovation that having limited specified support prescribed in legislation creates. By including support in guidance instead of legislation, it will be easier to update any minimum standard as appropriate whilst allowing Returning Officers to provide additional and tailored support that most appropriately suits their voters’ needs. This will strengthen the support for all voters with disabilities and improve the way this is delivered. This guidance will be produced in partnership with the Government’s expert Accessibility of Elections Working Group, of which the RNIB is a much valued member, ensuring that the needs of blind and partially sighted voters are carefully considered.