We must ensure that disabled people get to cast their votes

By Stephen Twigg MP and Kate Green MP

There are around 11 million disabled voters in the UK. In a few weeks, they will have the opportunity to go to the ballot box and have their say on the future direction of our country. Between now and May 7th, it is imperative that we do all was can to ensure their voice is heard.

Our democracy is becoming increasingly inaccessible. Over the last year, as the Government have rushed the introduction of Individual Electoral Registration (IER), 1 million people have fallen off the register. That will include many disabled people, who will be unaware of the changes which mean they are unable to vote on May 7th.  Ed Miliband has led calls for a mass voter registration drive and disabled people must not be left behind.

We must ensure that all Election Registration Officers contact residential care homes to make them aware of the change to IER. In the past, care homes would be able to register all those who lived there en bloc, but now each person will have to register individually. Some are simply unaware of this change. For others, the forms and online registration can be daunting. That’s why local authorities need to supply all the information in accessible formats.

On election day itself, some disabled people can find getting to and entering the polling station impossible. Each local authority is required to carry out an audit of polling stations by 31th January 2015, and should take into account all the issues regarding access to premises. Yesterday, we wrote to every local authority in the country to ask whether they had completed this audit and would ensure that they had arrangements in place to make voting stations fully accessible.  This includes assistance in the polling booth itself – such as tactile voting devices, a large-print version of the ballot paper and assistance to actually mark the ballot paper.

In the 21st century, it’s a disgrace if any eligible voter is put off from having their say because of practicalities. Many of the issues at the heart of the election campaign will be of real importance to disabled people, such as the provision of public services, the state of the NHS and social security. Whichever Party they choose, we must ensure their voice is heard.

Next week, Labour is holding an opposition day on voter registration and we will call on the Government to take measures now to maximise the franchise. Members of the Shadow Cabinet and the whole Parliamentary Party will be marking National Voter Registration Day by holding events up and down the country to encourage as many people as possible to register. Nobody should be left behind, We will be working hard to make sure disabled people have a say in the democratic choice our country faces.