Information for Electoral Administrators
School pupils stand in private voting booths writing their vote down.
As electoral administrators, there are multiple ways you can support blind and partially sighted people to vote independently and in secret. When a voter arrives at the polling station, they might need guiding to the voting booth. Always ask how a person likes to be guided.
How you can help blind and partially sighted voters
This page includes video, written guides and tips on how to support blind and partially sighted voters to use some of the accessible voting solutions that RNIB has tested (the report following this testing will be published soon). These are however not the only accessible voting solutions that can be used.
A blind or partially sighted voter might contact you in advance to request a specific solution, or you could procure particular devices in advance of polling day so that you are prepared to support any voter and their requirements. Blind and partially sighted voters will vary as to which accessible voting solution will work best for them, depending on their level of vision. Returning Officers are required to anticipate what is needed in their area and have a duty to provide equipment to enable disabled people to vote independently and in secret.
There are multiple barriers to voting secretly and independently for blind and partially sighted people, and two main barriers when it comes to the ballot paper itself. The first is knowing the contents of the ballot paper including candidate names, parties and voting instructions. The second is navigating the physical ballot paper and locating the voting boxes to mark the cross. There is the large-print ballot paper that some partially sighted voters who can read printed text might be able to successfully use to know the contents of the ballot paper. However, an audio recording might still be their preference.
Video guides:
Written guides:
Audio Guides:
RNIB Accessible Voting Trial 2023
The practical act of voting – making a cross in a specific location on a piece of paper – is fundamentally a visual exercise. As such, the majority of the 320,000 blind and partially sighted people in the UK face unacceptable barriers to voting independently and in secret. RNIB has campaigned on this issue for many years and we continue to call for an equitable voting experience for blind and partially sighted people.
We were pleased to work with colleagues at the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and at the Electoral Commission to devise an accessible voting trial for blind and partially sighted people on 25 September 2024, held at RNIB’s office in London.
Trialling a series of potential solutions in a rigorous way is a crucial step towards ensuring all blind and partially sighted people are able to exercise their fundamental democratic right to vote independently and in secret.
Read our report: