Accessibility at polling stations

Voting in a polling station

The voting process should be accessible to all voters.

We have tried to ensure that all polling stations across the county are fully accessible by ramp or elevator to any voter with mobility restrictions. Every polling station is also equipped with at least one wheelchair-accessible polling booth.

Once inside the polling station, there are clear instructions on how to vote in both written and picture formats, and our friendly polling station staff are on hand to help you. They are trained to offer impartial guidance on the voting process and to maintain a stress-free environment throughout the day.

There are also a number of other ways you can receive support to cast your vote. Our friendly and helpful polling station staff will make reasonable adjustments where possible.

Please speak to them if you need any of the following when at the polling station:

  • Adapted level polling booth for wheelchair users
  • Tactile voting device (a device that attaches to a ballot paper to allow blind or partially sighted voters to mark their ballot paper)
  • Large print versions of ballot papers to view
  • Ballot paper magnifier (a hand held device which allows you to magnify any part of a regular-sized ballot paper)
  • Language translations (instructions on how to vote in additional languages)
  • A chair to sit on whilst you wait to vote if you need one
  • Access for your guide or assistance dog
  • The ballot box placed on a low-level table or chair so that it is accessible to a wheelchair user
  • Assistance from a companion (you can bring someone you trust with you to help you cast your vote as long as they are over the age of 18 and eligible themselves to vote in the election)
  • Assistance from the Presiding Officer (The polling stations Presiding Officer can act as your companion and join you in the polling booth to help you cast your vote)

If you want to, you can take your phone into the polling booth to use magnifier or text-to-speech apps, or the phone torch to improve lighting. When using your phone, don't take any photos inside the polling station.

Find out more about voting if you have a disability.