Organisation : Central Elections Commission
Facility : How to Vote Person with Disability
Country : Albania
Home Page : http://cec.org.al/?lang=en
PWD Voting Process :
The Central Elections Commission is committed in respecting every citizen’s right to vote, including persons with disabilities.
Voting Centers throughout the country, according to CEC1 Instructions, will be located on the ground floor of buildings and should have appropriate light.
A questionnaire on Voting Centersˊ accessibility standards has been distributed to Commissions of Electoral Administration Zones and local authorities so that measures are taken in due time before the Elections.
In those buildings where there is no ramp in the entrance, CEC will cover the costs of a permanent ramp, so that it can benefit the building in long term even in its other functions i.e. as a school and not only as a Voting Center.
A voting booth which is accessible, meaning adjusted in its height, will be available in every Voting Center.
In order to guarantee complete independent and private voting of blind voters, special ballots will be provided for them. Education materials for voters will be provided in accessible formats i.e. sign language, audio etc. so that all votersˊ right for information is guaranteed.
Voting by assistance :
Apart from the above mentioned measures undertaken so that voters with disabilities can vote independently and privately, Article 108 of the Electoral Code foresees assistance by another person for those voters that are unable to fill independently the ballot due to physical impairments.
The voter, that because of physical impairments is unable to fill the ballot independently, can request the assistance of a family member or of another voter, that is registered in the list of voters of the same Voting Center area.
Before helping the person with a disability filling out the ballot, the person assisting should make a declaration in the Book of Meetingsˊ Protocol of the Commission of the Voting Center :
1. that will follow the instructions of the voter with a disability and that will not influence his/her decision-making;
** that he hasn’t assisted and will not assist another voter with a disability unable to fill independently the ballot;
** will not make public the vote of the person being assisted. Both the person assisting and the voter needing assistance should be present at the Voting Center while using this form of voting procedure.
** It’s mandatory that the ballot should be filled out secretly in the voting booth.
Voting process :
During the voting procedure, voters with disabilities will go through the same stages as all the other voters. Voters with disabilities, on entering the Voting Center :
** say their name and will introduce to the Voting Center Commission one of the identification documents mentioned above
** The Head of the Voting Center Commission will check for the name in the list of voters. In the meanwhile
** A member of the Commission will check the voter on both hands, if he has been or not previously stained with a special ink.
** The Head of the Commission, after verifying that the identity of the voter is the same as that on the list of the voters, will add the ID type and ID number and will draw a line on the name of this voter.
** The voter will sign next to his name. If the voter is unable to sign himself/herself because of physical limitations, the assistant can do that.
** Another member of the Commission of the Voting Center, will stain the voter with a special ink which lasts 24 hours on the left thumb.