Tactile Ballot Guides for Blind Voters

Organization
Central Election Commission of Georgia
Country of Implementation
Georgia
Region
Europe
Subregion
CIS and Associated States
Start Year
2016
First published
31.01.2019

The tactile ballot guide has cut-out holes and lines along one side to indicate the sequence of candidates. The ballot paper is placed under the guide and an audio recording describes the parties and candidates that correspond to the holes. The guide can be used multiple times and does not require knowledge of the Braille font.

Blind voter counts and selects political subject during mock election. Blind voter enters polling station.
During a mock election, a blind voter uses the ballot guide, counting the cutouts to make her selections.

Solution details

People

Tamar ZHVANIA Website
“By using the special tactile ballot guide I, as a blind voter, make my own choices independently.” Irma Barabadze, Chief Social Worker, Social Service of the Union of the Blind in Georgia

Problems Targeted

Despite several projects implemented by the CEC, blind voters living in Georgia were not able to vote independently without the assistance of another person.

Solution, Innovation and Impact

In 2016, the Central Election Commission created a standard ballot paper for all elections in the country, thus providing the basis for developing a solution to allow blind voters to vote independently. To develop the tactile ballot guide, the CEC looked at international best practices and worked with a number of NGOs, including the Union of the Blind in Georgia. The tactile ballot guide made of durable paper has cut-out holes and lines along one side to indicate the sequence of candidates. The ballot paper is placed under the guide and an audio recording describes the parties and candidates that correspond to the holes. The guide can be used multiple times and does not require knowledge of the Braille font. To promote the guide and explain how it works, the CEC produced videos and partnered with the Union of the Blind to hold information sessions and mock elections; and following the 2016 election the guide was updated and further improved. To make the information about the tactile ballot guide available online to blind voters, the CEC official website was adapted in line with the principle of universal design. For the 2018 presidential election, guides were available in all 3,647 election precincts and were used by 527 voters.

Funding, Outlook and Transferability

The policy is fully financed from Georgia’s national state budget. The overall cost of the project was $6,500, with a cost per tactile ballot guide of $1.45. The guide is replicable in other countries, as it is inexpensive to produce and can be used in different types of elections. The CEC has already presented its work in international meeting, and it is actively sharing information with election administrations in other countries. In the 2018 municipal election, Georgia piloted electronic vote counting for the first time in three electoral precincts of one electoral district. As such, different ballot papers were printed and CEC prepared an adapted tactile ballot guide for these papers. This will need to be considered if these electronic pilots are expanded.

Media

Pictures

Blind voter counts and selects political subject during mock election. Blind voter enters polling station. During a mock election, a blind voter uses the ballot guide, counting the cutouts to make her selections.
Blind voter counts and selects political subject during mock election. Blind voter enters polling station. During a mock election, a blind voter uses the ballot guide, counting the cutouts to make her selections.

Videos

Downloads

Life Story

THE STORY OF IRMA BARABADZE, USER OF THE TACTILE BALLOT GUIDE OF THE CENTRAL ELECTION COMMISSION

“With the tactile ballot, I can now vote really secretly without anybody’s assistance.”

“With the tactile ballot, I can now vote really secretly without anybody’s assistance.”

Related information

Solutions with the same:

Country of Implementation

Georgia

Region of Implementation

Europe