19 January 2021
The Western Australian Electoral Commission (WAEC) has recently announced two accessible voting options most likely to benefit people who are blind and vision impaired or have a print disability.
The March 2021 State General Election will feature two forms of Technology Assisted Voting that will be available throughout the Early Voting period plus Election Day.
The Commission will be offering:
- Vote Assist: this is a form of secret and unassisted voting offered to electors with disabilities and/or incapacities, particularly electors with vision impairment. Vote Assist allows the elector to listen to an audio script (vote instructions and all candidate and party name details) using headphones. The recording of voting preferences is performed using a customised keypad. The completed ballot is then printed (face down) in front of the elector, allowing the elector to then self-lodge the ballot papers into the ballot box.
- Telephone Assisted Voting: offered for the first time in WA is a form of remote voting, allowing eligible electors to vote over the telephone in secret, ensuring elector anonymity.
Further details on the services and how to register can be found on the WAEC Assisted Voting Guide website.