Treatment of blind voters ‘appalling’

A NON-profit-organisation (NPO) representing blind people says it was appalled by how the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) treated blind voters on election day.

The NPO complained that blind people were not catered for in some voting areas and that their right to a secret vote was infringed upon because some of the blind voters had to use the normal ballot papers.

Blind SA lodged an objection with the IEC at the voting station in Tshwane on election day, stating that blind and partially sighted voters did not have the universal ballot template to cast a secret vote.

“Blind SA acknowledges that the IEC produced over 30 000 of the universal ballot templates. However, these did not reach all voting stations. Blind SA had 53 blind and partially sighted observers throughout the country who visited over 200 voting stations.

“The initial findings were that the majority of the voting stations did not have the universal ballot template. PO’s have confirmed that they did not receive any universal ballot templates and were not trained on using these voting aids,” the NPO said in a statement.

The organisation said it was unfair for blind people to have go into the booths with family members when they could have gone in alone.

“This violates the basic human rights as well as the Electoral Act that the universal ballot template was not freely available,” the organisation said.

Blind SA says the IEC needs to investigate this serious violation and take the necessary steps as well as report to the Blind Sector why the distribution and training plans failed.

The Star tried to contact IEC spokesperson Kate Bapela but she could not be reached for comment.