Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the accessibility of elections for blind and partially sighted people; and what steps they intend to take to ensure that the new photographic ID requirement does not decrease that accessibility.

In 2018 the Government issued a Call for Evidence on Access to Elections. It received over 250 responses and in a subsequent response paper set out some of the things it was going to look at, including elements that address accessibility issues for people with sight loss.

With regard to piloting voter identification in polling stations, the Government has worked with the Access to Elections Working Group, which includes people from RNIB, Mencap and other organisations representing disabled people, to consider how accessibility can be maintained. The Government has also worked with a wide range of other stakeholders. We will continue consultation with all of these organisations, keeping Public Sector Equality Duty compliance at the core of our planning for the roll out of voter ID in Great Britain.

We are also starting to bring forward measures which respond to issues raised in the Government’s response to the 2018 Call for Evidence on Access to Elections, with the proposals announced as part of the package around the Queen’s Speech. These will include increasing the range of support available to voters with disabilities in polling stations and allowing a wider range of people (such as carers) to assist disabled voters in polling stations if needed.