Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Blind and Partially Sighted People: Voting

Thursday 17 December 2020 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Government are committed to ensuring that elections are accessible for all eligible voters.
  • The Government have been working with the Royal National Institute of Blind People to improve the voting process for blind and partially sighted people.
  • Any systems and reforms brought in need to be tested, which has been hindered by the cancellation of elections this year.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Liz Twist Lab Blaydon and Consett
Democracy & Elections
Context

The Royal National Institute of Blind People's report highlighted that only one in ten blind voters and less than half of partially sighted voters could vote independently and in secret during the 2019 general election.

Question

What assessment has the Department made of the accessibility of voting for blind and partially sighted people?

Answer from Penny Mordaunt

The Government are committed to ensuring that elections are accessible for all eligible voters and have been working with the Royal National Institute of Blind People to improve the voting process for blind and partially sighted people.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific steps or timeline for implementing recommendations from RNIB's report

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Q2 Liz Twist Lab Blaydon and Consett
Democracy & Elections Religion & Faith
Context

The Royal National Institute of Blind People's report found that only one in ten blind voters and less than half of partially sighted voters could vote independently and in secret during the 2019 general election.

Question

What steps is the Minister taking to introduce the recommendations made in the RNIB's most recent report?

Answer from Penny Mordaunt

We have been working intensively with the RNIB. Any systems and reforms that are brought in do need to be tested, and it is unfortunate that the cancellation of elections this year has meant we have not had that opportunity. But we will do so next year.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not specify concrete steps or timeline for implementation of RNIB's recommendations

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