Accessibility at polling stations and postal voting feedback

We reached out to Coalition members to ask for their feedback and experience on the accessibility at their local polling station and postal voting for the Local Elections ​in May and the General ​Election in July.

This was because we have heard from some of our members that there’s been problems with accessibility at polling stations in Surrey and the postal vote ballot paper.

Our aim from this feedback is to campaign for change and improve accessibility for future elections!

Below is the feedback from members:

Member A: “I was given two sheets of Braille one was upside down the other was the correct way up.​ The problem was that on both Braille pages there were only 2 candidates on each page there should have been 4 candidates. There was no proof reading done so they couldn’t tell me the information that I needed to know.​

The Presiding Officer was helpful and apologised but I feel that if it is a local election, all things must be made accessible for all”.

Member B: “I’ve just heard back from [local council] that they have not bought a ramp that I can use to get into the polling station. That I will have to vote outside and that I won’t be allowed to place my own ballot in the box.​

This is in direct contravention of the Elections Act 2022 which gives us the right to vote independently and in secret.​

This was the case last time and they haven’t managed to address the issue over the last 12 months!​

Obviously, I’m frustrated by the whole situation and obvious impact on disabled people’s rights in other areas”.

Member C: “I would like to tell you about my experience voting at my local polling station. I need a forearm walker; I cannot stand for long as my joints compress. I entered the building passing seats as I wanted to vote and leave. I wasn’t tired I just couldn’t stand. Four people were waiting to vote and only two people from the council doing this.

Knowing I could not stand, and not wishing to overtake those in the queue, I decided to sit down until the queue had cleared on a chair in the voting room. I knew the person I was behind and waited till she registered. But by then more people joined the queue. I struggled to stand as the chairs didn’t have armrests, but when it was my turn I called, “I’m next”, but was ignored, I called out again and was still ignored.

“Because of my disability I could not stand, so I sat down and waited my turn”. She then said “we thought you were resting before you voted”, “Why didn’t she approach me and ask?” “She then said that I will have to get up and register, I said, I can’t, there’s no armrest and I’m struggling, why can’t you register me from here. She said we need your name and address. That’s fine I called it out. Then she said you will need to go to the voting booth, again I said I can’t get up, I will do it here, please”. She reluctantly gave me the voting paper, and I voted and folded it up. I asked her to put the voting paper in the tin and I watched her do it”.

If you’d like to share your experience of voting and any accessibility issues to help campaign for change for future elections, please email your experience to: Involvement@surreycoalition.org.uk