Accessible voting

Everyone should be able to register and vote without facing barriers. Broadland District Council and South Norfolk Council provide a range of services and support to help make voting as accessible as possible.

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to support voters with disabilities and to continually improve the range and quality of assistance available. If you would like to know more, please contact us using the details at the bottom of this page.

Voting at the polling station

To help voters understand the voting process and how to complete their ballot paper, every polling station provides:

• Clear notices and signs explaining how to vote in the election
• A notice in each polling booth explaining how to mark the ballot paper

Our polling station staff are trained and ready to help. If you have any questions or need support, please ask a member of staff.

Access to polling stations

All of our polling stations have been checked for accessibility. At some locations, access may be via a ramp that is not at the main entrance. Where this applies, clear signage will always be in place.

Each polling station has a low-level polling booth suitable for wheelchair users.

Car parking is available at polling stations, and almost all have a dedicated wheelchair-accessible parking space.

Guide and assistance dogs are welcome inside polling stations.

Support available inside the polling station

Every polling station has equipment available to support voters, including:

• Chairs and seating for anyone who finds it difficult to stand for long periods
• Magnifiers to make text easier to read
• Pencil grips to help voters with dexterity impairments
• Large print ballot papers
• Tactile voting devices for blind or partially sighted voters
• Audio ballot papers, accessed via a QR code

McGonagle readers, which allow blind or partially sighted voters to mark their ballot paper in private, are also available on request. Please contact us in advance to find out more.

Voters may also use their own mobile phone for accessibility reasons, such as text-to-speech apps, a torch, or a magnifier to help read their ballot paper. Please let polling station staff know if you intend to do this, as mobile phone use is otherwise not permitted inside the polling station.

Assistance

If you need help inside the polling station, you can:

• Choose someone you trust who is over 18 to come with you into the polling station and help you vote
• Ask the Presiding Officer (the person in charge of the polling station) to help you complete your ballot paper

The Presiding Officer is legally bound by the requirements for secrecy, and your vote will always remain confidential.

Other ways to vote

If you do not wish to vote in person at a polling station, you can vote by post or by proxy.

You can find out more on our ways to vote page.

Useful links

Please be aware that the links below will direct you to an external site.

• Register to vote: using the online registration service
• Register to vote (easy read): a step‑by‑step guide from GOV.UK
• My Vote My Voice (United Response): easy‑to‑understand information about voting and politics, co‑produced with people with learning disabilities
• Mencap: guidance on registering to vote, what happens on polling day, and a virtual polling station experience
• RNIB: information on accessible voting and the right to vote independently and in secret for people with sight loss
• RNID: Video guides on how to vote in elections using BSL
• United Response: a range of accessible voting resources, including easy read guides