EU guide of good electoral practices to address the participation of citizens with disabilities in the electoral process

EU guide of good electoral practices to address the participation of citizens with disabilities in the electoral process

The European Commission has introduced the guide of good electoral practices with the aim to address the participation of persons with disabilities in the upcoming European elections taking place in June 2024.

The guide highlights that all citizens should be able to participate effectively in the political life of the European Union and that every vote counts, that is why it is the responsibility of Member States to organise national elections in line with their international commitments, for instance UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It stresses that the European Commission supports among others the sharing of good practices, including on accessible voting machines and specific adjustments and how to provide options for voters with disabilities. Furthermore, the European Union also funds EU-level disability organisations to raise awareness and advocate for rights of persons with disabilities to stand and vote in the elections and to improve the capacity of their member organisations.

The report issued by the European Commission to the European Parliament on the European elections taking place in 2019 underlined that citizens with disabilities face additional barriers to exercising their electoral rights. This report emphasised the importance of tackling these barriers in view of the next elections to the European Parliament. Hence, this guide is a crucial document to tackle this issue and to make the voting procedure more accessible.

You can read the full guide here.