Making voter ID accessible

Date posted: 8th July 2022

Thomas Pocklington Trust met with the elections team at the government department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to discuss voter ID, polling stations and postal votes.

From May 2023, you’ll need to show a form of photo ID at your polling station in order to vote. Our Accessible Voting campaign aims to ensure that this new requirement won’t present yet another barrier to blind and partially sighted people exercising their democratic right to vote.

 

Read more about the Accessible Voting campaign

 

We met with the DLUHC team as part of our efforts to ensure that when compulsory voter photo ID is introduced next year it is fully accessible to blind and partially sighted people. 

This is part of our campaign on accessible voting and, in particular, to make sure that when compulsory voter photo ID is introduced next year – it is fully accessible to blind and partially sighted people. As a result of this meeting Thomas Pocklington Trust will be:

  • Engaging with the design team on the physical appearance of the new photo ID card, to ensure it can be read by partially sighted voters

  • Working with their digital team to make sure the application process for the new photo ID is accessible and consistent for blind and partially sighted people across the country

  • Helping to test the accessibility of new processes for postal vote applications

  • Working with the Electoral Commission on the implementation phase and on raising awareness of the new requirement amongst the sight loss community

  • Joining the DLUHC accessibility of elections working group to ensure that the voice of blind and partially sighted people is heard throughout this process

 

Meetings on the design of the card are already taking place with team members at Thomas Pocklington  Trust, who have  lived experience and technical expertise, giving accessibility recommendations.

 

Need to know about the changes ahead for casting your vote?

We produced a podcast with Peter Stanyon, CEO of the Association of Electoral Administrators.

Listen again here

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