Voting in Scotland and UK elections
Image: A person dropping a piece of paper into a ballot box
Over 150 years since the 1872 Ballot Act granted the right to a secret vote, many blind and partially sighted people still have to ask other people to help them to vote.
Only a quarter of blind people feel that the current system allows them to vote independently and in secret.
Find out more about blind and partially sighted people's experiences of voting in the 2024 General Election in RNIB’s Turned Out 2024 report.
Looking for a better Scotland
RNIB Scotland's manifesto, ‘Looking For A Better Scotland’, urges all political parties to commit to action ahead of the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections, including ensuring people with sight loss can vote independently and in secret.
The Scottish context
The Scotland Act 2016 devolved legislative responsibility to the Scottish Parliament for running Scotland-wide elections (Scottish Parliament, Local Government; and referenda), while Scottish electoral officials administer UK-wide elections in Scotland under UK legislation. RNIB Scotland worked closely with the Scottish Government Elections Team, the Electoral Management Board for Scotland and the Electoral Commission (Scotland) to improve the accessibility of elections in Scotland. Working in partnership with the Forth Valley Sensory Centre, we tested potential accessible voting solutions for blind and partially sighted voters.
As a result, a card ballot paper overlay and linked audio ballot paper will be available for the first time at the Scottish Parliament election on Thursday 7 May 2026.
Key deadlines for the Scottish Parliament election
- Deadline for registering to vote - Monday 20th April
- Deadline for receiving new postal vote and postal proxy applications, and for changes to existing postal or proxy votes - 5pm, Tuesday 21st April
- Deadline for receiving new applications to vote by proxy (not postal proxy or emergency proxies) - 5pm, Tuesday 28th April
- Deadline for emergency proxy applications - 5pm, Thursday 7th May
- Deadline to apply for a replacement for spoilt or lost postal votes - 5pm, Thursday 7th May
- Polling day - 7am – 10pm, Thursday 7th May
Will I need voter ID?
Voter ID is required in Scotland for UK-wide elections such as General Elections, but not for Scotland-wide elections such as the upcoming 2026 Scottish Parliament elections.
Let us know what you think
We are keen and ready to work with people with sight loss and the Scottish sight loss sector alongside the Scottish Government Elections Team, the Electoral Management Board for Scotland, and the Electoral Commission to develop feasible accessible voting aids for blind and partially sighted voters.
If you have a voting experience you would like to share with us, you can contact us at: [email protected].
