Information for blind and partially sighted voters
Scottish council elections are taking place on Thursday 5 May, in which anyone who is 16 or over and lives in Scotland can vote. This guide has been created by the Electoral Commission in partnership with RNIB Scotland, Guide Dogs Scotland and Sight Scotland to provide advice about voting in the election, and answer some of the questions blind and partially sighted voters might have.
Further information about voting in the elections is also available on the Electoral Commission website, which is accessible and can be used with assistive technology. You can also request information in braille and audio by calling 0800 3 280 280.
How can I register to vote?
The deadline to register to vote in the council elections is midnight on Monday 18 April. You can register now at www.gov.uk/registertovote, or call 0800 3 280 280 for more information about how to register.
Your local Electoral Registration Office can provide assistance with registration queries. You can find their details by entering your postcode at www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/your-election-information
Voting options
There are different ways to vote – you can vote in person, by post, or by appointing someone you trust to vote on your behalf, which is known as a proxy vote. You should plan which voting method you want to use early on. The deadline to register for a postal vote is 5pm on 19 April, and the deadline to register for a proxy vote is 5pm on 26 April.
Voting in person at a polling place on Thursday 5 May
Polling places will be safe places to vote on polling day, with hygiene and physical distancing measures in place. They will be open from 7am to 10pm.
You’ll receive a poll card which will tell you where your polling place is. It may not be the same place you voted last time. If your venue has changed you might need to plan your route in advance or take a family member or friend with you.
You can check where your polling place is and find a list of candidates by entering your postcode at www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/your-election-information.
Help at the polling place
You can take a companion with you to help you at the polling place, or you can ask a member of the polling place staff to help you. Your own companion must be a member of your immediate family over 18 years old, or a 'qualified elector' - which means someone who is legally able to vote.
The person helping you can guide you between the entrance, desk, polling booth and ballot box. They can also mark the ballot paper for you in accordance with your instructions.
Voting by post
If you want to vote by post, you should send your application to your local Electoral Registration Office well before the deadline of 5pm on 19 April to make sure it arrives in time.
You can either download the application form from the Electoral Commission website, or request one from your local Electoral Registration Office. Find out more about voting by post and download an application form at www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-ama/voter/apply-vote-post
You will be asked to provide a signature when you apply for a postal vote and when you complete your postal ballot, so your identity can be verified. However, if you are unable to provide a signature, or a consistent signature, you can request that the requirement for a signature is waived. You will need to provide with your application the reason for the request and the name and address of any person who has assisted you with completing your application.
You will receive your ballot papers by post. You then need to complete and return them, ensuring you leave enough time for them to arrive by 10pm on Thursday 5 May.
Voting by proxy (allowing somebody you trust to vote on your behalf)
If you want to vote by proxy, you need to send your application to your local Electoral Registration Office by 5pm on 26 April. You can either download the application form from the Electoral Commission website, or request one from your local Electoral Registration Office.
Find out more about voting by proxy and download an application form at www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/vote/apply-vote-proxy
The person voting on your behalf can either go to your polling place to cast your vote, or can apply to vote for you by post, which is called a postal proxy vote.
Applications for postal proxy votes must be with the Electoral Registration Office by 5pm on 26 April. In certain circumstances, where you have an emergency that means you can't vote in person, such as needing to self-isolate due to COVID-19, you can apply for an emergency proxy vote up to 5pm on polling day.
More information about applying for an emergency proxy vote is available at www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/vote/apply-vote-proxy
Accessible voting options at polling places
You are allowed to take a phone or other form of assistive technology into the polling booth to help you to vote. For instance, to use magnifier or text-to-speech apps, or the phone torch to improve lighting. You can also use the Electoral Commission postcode checker to confirm candidate order at www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/your-election-information. These can be used in conjunction with the tactile voting device.
Large print ballot form
By law, every polling place must display a large print copy of the ballot paper for reference. They must also provide a reference copy for you to take into the booth with you. You can use the large print copy to read all the information on the ballot papers, but you must still cast your vote on the standard print ballot papers.
Tactile voting device
If you have difficulty completing the standard print ballot paper, you can use a tactile voting device to help mark your vote in the correct place. Each polling place must provide a tactile device on request for people with sight loss.
The tactile voting device will be sanitised after each use. The tactile voting device has a sticky backing, which attaches on top of your ballot paper. A staff member will attach the tactile voting device to the ballot paper. It has numbered lift up flaps (the numbers are raised and in braille) directly over the boxes where you mark your vote.
You will need to use the large print ballot form or ask someone (a companion or polling place staff) to read out the list of candidates to you. The candidates will be in alphabetical order.
For this election you vote using numbers. Your ballot paper will list all the candidates standing to be councillors in your ward. You will be asked to number the candidates in order of your choice using 1, 2, 3, and so on. You can make as many or as few choices as you wish.
You will need to remember the number of the candidate you wish to vote for, then lift the flap with the same number and mark your number in the box. Put the number 1 in the voting box next to your first choice, the number 2 in the voting box next to your second choice, and so on. You can then detach the tactile device and fold your ballot paper in half before posting it in the ballot box.
You can take as long as you need to complete your ballot paper. If you make a mistake and need another one, just ask a member of staff.
