The Electoral Commission consultation on draft guidance for Returning Officers: Assistance with voting for persons with disabilities

Overview

The Electoral Commission have asked us to help promote a consultation they are carrying out on the draft guidance for Returning Officers: Assistance with voting for persons with disabilities.

The Elections Act 2022 includes provisions relating to assisting people with disabilities to vote, and introduces a duty on the Commission to provide guidance to Returning Officers (ROs) on the requirement to provide reasonable equipment to assist voters with disabilities in polling stations. ROs must have regard to this guidance, which will support them to make accessibility arrangements for the May 2023 elections and beyond.

In requiring this, the Act has provided a timely opportunity to review existing guidance to help ensure everyone can vote independently and confidently. The Electoral Commission want the updated guidance to help ROs and their teams to understand the barriers to voting faced by those with disabilities and make informed decisions on what they can do to help make voting accessible for all. 

Your views will play an important role in ensuring that the guidance (that The Electoral Commission will publish for formal consultation from late November 2022) sets out actions that can have a real and positive impact for voters with disabilities, and help to inform ROs with planning for future elections.

Please visit The Electoral Commission's website for further information and for details about how you can provide your feedback.