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You are an electoral authority

Free and equal access to the electoral campaigns and procedures
National and regional electoral authorities, have the obligation to ensure that all citizens have free and equal access to the electoral system. In the case of persons with disabilities, it means ensuring accessibility of the electoral campaigns and information about the electoral process, physical access to the buildings in which the vote will take place and of registration to vote.

The forthcoming 2009 European Parliament elections raise at least two important issues:

• the right of persons with disabilities to vote
• the problem with the low turnout.

These issues are interconnected: enabling disabled people to exercise their fundamental right will influence significantly the turnout at the elections in your country.

The right to vote is a fundamental human right
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which entered into force in 2008 legally supports :

• the right to vote (article 29)
• the right for recognition before the law (article 12)
• the right to access to information (article 21)
• the right to freedom of expression and opinion (article 21)
• the right to accessibility (article 9)

Checklist to ensure equal and accessible voting and electoral campaigns