Independent and secret voting for all

The Federation of Portuguese Cerebral Palsy Associations (FAPPC), together with IBM and Softinsa, has developed a voting system that uses different input devices to enable independent and secret voting for everyone, including people with motor, sensory, and intellectual disabilities.

In 2018 the Federation of Portuguese Cerebral Palsy Associations (FAPPC), an NGO located in Lisbon, developed an offline Accessible Vote System that enables independent and secret voting for all, including persons with motor, sensory, and intellectual disabilities. The voting itself takes place through input devices, such as switch buttons, joysticks, headphones, or a touch screen. The system offers explanatory graphics and images and was co-developed with IBM and Softinsa, a local technology company.

Problems Targeted

Lack of accessibility in the election process makes it difficult for people with disabilities to vote without overcoming obstacles, such as inaccessible polling stations and information.

Solution, Innovation and Impact

FAPPC’s offline Accessible Vote System enables persons with disabilities to vote in an independent and dignified way, without the help of an assistant, respecting democratic values and human rights. The user has an option of various input devices and navigates through an interface, where the voting options emerge on the screen or are told by voice recording. The user chooses the preferred option through the input device, which triggers an automatic print of an encrypted QR code. The interface is configured offline to avoid any manipulation through the Internet. The main objective is to increase the security and accessibility of all processes regarding the voting system, which can be used for various types of elections and opinion polls. The solution was first implemented in July 2019 in Portugal for voting in the participative budget election, in which 112 people with disabilities voted for projects aimed at enhancing the accessibility of their cities. In the 2021 presidential election over 50 voters used the system – a lower turnout compared to 2019 due to the COVID pandemic.

Funding, Outlook and Transferability

FAPPC has self-funded the voting system project, which received in-kind support from its partners IBM and Softinsa, having developed the software with their own resources. Over the next three to five years the Federation hopes other countries will replicate the accessible voting solution since the interface is configured to adapt to any voting process around the globe. FAPPC has set the goal for its system to be used in all recurring national elections in Portugal by 2024.

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