Final report - Voting centre accessibility

7.1 Introduction

People need clear information about the different ways they can vote, barriers they may encounter, the policies of candidates and parties, and how to correctly fill out ballot papers. All this information needs to be provided in accessible formats to ensure that everyone has equal access to it.

Some people with disability need more information regarding voting than they currently get. The data indicate a need for more information about candidates and parties, as well as information about the logistics of voting (see Section 7.2). This information needs to be provided in a variety of accessible formats, as set out in Section 7.3.

At the 2026 election, the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) plans to send an EasyVote guide to every household with an elector. The VEC used to post guides to electors, but discontinued the practice after the 2018 election. The Committee is pleased to see the EasyVote guide being posted again, as this is an important way to reach people. A trial EasyVote guide was sent out for the Nepean District by-election in 2026. However, this did not include some key information for people with disability and the Committee would like to see more information at future elections (see Section 7.4).

To make an informed decision about what form of voting will best suit a person, they need information about what options are available to them (see Section 7.5) and what they will experience with each option (see Section 7.6).

The Committee finds that there is a particular need for more information about the accessibility of voting centres. Currently the only published information is which of three categories of wheelchair accessibility best describes a centre. While this is important, it is not sufficient. A better system would provide information about features related to a variety of disabilities and would provide more detailed information, enabling a voter to determine the suitability of a centre based on their particular needs.

There is also a need for better communication from the VEC about what support is available at voting centres and what will happen at a voting centre. In addition, information about voting centres must be provided early enough for people with disability to determine the best approach for them and to organise any support that they need.

Several stakeholders discussed the importance of candidates and parties providing information in accessible formats for voters with disability (see Section 7.7). This has been raised in earlier inquiries too. Further work is required to find the best way to make this information more readily available.

Finally, it is important that voters do not encounter communication and information barriers when they are at a voting centre. Several potential improvements to how election officials and voters communicate in voting centres are suggested in Section 7.8.

Some stakeholders discussed helping younger people with disability know about the voting process before they reach voting age. They noted that some people with disability may not participate in traditional schooling and therefore may not receive civics education through schools, requiring a different approach to other young people.^[1]

Electoral education for younger people is an important topic that requires more investigation than has been possible in this Inquiry. The VEC has some work planned in this space.^[2] The Committee encourages the VEC to continue this and to expand its efforts where possible. Expanding education efforts would support more informed and confident participation and indirectly contribute to improved accessibility of voting centres by reducing informational and psychological barriers for many voters.

7.2 Some voters need more information

Multiple stakeholders told the Committee that some people with disability need more information to make informed votes. Previous work by the Committee reached similar conclusions.

As part of its Inquiry into the 2022 state election, the Committee conducted a survey of Victorians with disability about their experiences and needs. While most respondents indicated that they had the information they needed to vote, 17.4% said that they did not.^[3] Figure 7.1 sets out the sort of information that these people said they needed.

As part of its contribution to this Inquiry, the Council on the Ageing Victoria conducted an online survey of its members. The results of this survey were similar to the results of the Committee’s survey:

• 21% found accessing useful information on candidates to be poor
• 15% considered finding out about voting locations to be poor
• 10% of respondents said that finding out about options for voting was poor.^[4]

While the methodologies of both surveys mean that they may not reflect people with disability as a whole,^[5] they both indicate that some people with disability need more information about both the logistics of voting and who to vote for.

These topics are explored in more detail below.

7.3 Information needs to be provided in accessible formats

Providing material in accessible formats is a critical step in reducing barriers to participation for many voters. There are a variety of different formats that will suit different people with disability. These include plain English, Easy English, large print, video, Auslan, braille, audio and digital products that are compatible with screen readers. Both printed and digital versions of information are important.

Some stakeholders indicated that the VEC’s current offerings are not sufficient. Joanna Middleton noted a lack of accessible Easy English information for voters with intellectual disability.^[6] Another submitter stated that the VEC’s current website is difficult to navigate, especially using a screen reader, and that much of the information from the VEC is not currently in accessible formats.^[7]

The VEC did produce an Easy English guide to voting in the 2022 election.^[8] However, this did not mention anything about how to find a wheelchair-accessible voting centre, what accessibility tools people could ask for (e.g. magnifying sheets, maxi pencils), the availability of personal hearing amplifiers at early voting centres or the Auslan interpreting service. Nor did it include detailed instructions for how to fill out the ballot papers.^[9] It also included potentially confusing information, stating, ‘If you cannot get to a voting centre you can vote by post,’^[10] although people were eligible to vote by post regardless of whether or not they were able to get to a voting centre. It did not mention that there is a cut-off date to apply for postal voting.

The VEC also produced a video—Voting with a disability at the 2022 state election.^[11] This video provided information about the Auslan interpreting service, equipment at voting centres and how to find out about the wheelchair accessibility ratings of voting centres.^[12] However, it was not in Easy English. In addition, it was only viewed 52 times,^[13] suggesting that there was a major problem with the VEC’s approach, such as the video not being promoted effectively or the medium not being appropriate to the relevant communities.

The VEC plans to produce materials in a range of video and print formats for the 2026 election.^[14] The Committee encourages the VEC to review its existing materials and promotion strategies to find ways to make them more complete, accurate and accessible. The Committee also encourages the VEC to explore new formats and new ways to deliver information to ensure that as many people as possible are informed about how to vote.

In designing information for voters with disability, it is also important to consider that people with disability may also have other characteristics that affect their participation. These could include cultural background, age, gender or location (see Section 2.2.1). These factors need to be considered when developing materials.

For example, Ngaweeyan Maar-oo recommended that:

accessible communication and assistance be co-designed and delivered in ways that recognise the intersection of disability and cultural safety. This recommendation embeds shared decision-making and invests in community-controlled capability to support culturally safe accessibility through the provision of information and assistance to voters with accessibility needs.^[15]

The Committee agrees that it is important for a variety of groups to be consulted about material produced for voters with disability and not just disability advocacy groups.

7.4 The EasyVote guide

For the 2026 state election, the VEC plans to mail a printed EasyVote guide to every household with an elector.^[16] The EasyVote guide will contain ‘details about when, where and how to vote, along with accessibility information and voting options’.^[17] The VEC has stated that it will include ‘accessibility ratings’ for all venues,^[18] by which the Committee presumes the VEC means wheelchair access ratings (see further discussion in Section 7.6 of this chapter).

The VEC mailed EasyVote guides or Election guides to electors in the 2018 election and earlier elections. However, this was discontinued for the 2022 election. An electronic EasyVote guide was available online in 2022, but it was not mailed to voters. In addition, earlier guides included personalised information (such as the voting locations for the elector’s district and their wheelchair accessibility ratings) but the 2022 guide was generic for the whole state and did not include this information.

As a trial of its plan for the 2026 state election,^[19] an EasyVote guide was sent to households at the 2026 Nepean District by-election. This included plain English information about:

• what different ways of voting were available
• how to fill out the ballot paper
• where to find a list of candidates and how-to-vote cards
• details of who needed to vote and how to check whether or not you needed to vote
• why the by-election was occurring
• who could help you to vote
• how to get more information, including in different languages.^[20]

The Nepean District EasyVote guide did not include a list of the voting centres and their wheelchair accessibility ratings, though it did include a QR code and web address to a page that links to that information. The VEC has indicated that the EasyVote guide at the state election will include information about voting centres and their accessibility ratings.^[21]

The Committee was pleased that the EasyVote guide included clear statements about eligibility for different voting options, such as ‘Anyone can apply to vote by post in this by-election’ and a plain-English list of the criteria for telephone-assisted voting.

The EasyVote guide also included a section on low-sensory voting. As noted in Section 4.4.1, the text around low-sensory voting focuses on it being for neurodivergent voters, and the Committee would like to see this expanded to other groups.

The guide noted the option of getting braille ballot papers. However, it did not mention the accessibility tools offered at voting centres, such as magnifying sheets, maxi pencils (see Section 6.3) and personal hearing amplifiers (see Section 6.4).

As discussed in Section 7.6, people with disability need more information about the accessibility of venues, the accessibility tools available at venues and the support offered by VEC staff. This information should be included in future EasyVote guides. The virtual Auslan interpreting service (see Section 6.5) was not offered at the Nepean District by-election, but the Committee would expect to see that mentioned in EasyVote guides when the service is offered.

Endeavour Foundation also suggested mailing voters a card with their enrolment details as well as other electoral information.^[22] Voters could bring this with them to communicate their details at a voting centre more easily. The VEC used to do this as part of EasyVote guides. The Committee notes that this would not be possible with the VEC’s current plan to send the guide to households rather than individuals. However, voters who would find this helpful could use the voting passport proposed in Section 7.8.3 of this chapter to communicate their personal details.

The Committee is pleased to see the VEC return to mailing the EasyVote guide to households, which the Committee has previously recommended.^[23] This will benefit many voters, including voters with disability. Adding some additional information about support for people with disability will make it even more helpful.

7.5 Voters need to know what voting options are available

As discussed in Chapter 3, the VEC provides multiple ways for people to vote. In addition to early and election-day voting centres, the VEC provides postal voting, telephone-assisted voting, low-sensory voting and mobile voting. However, not all people with disability are aware of these options or their eligibility.

The need for more information about different ways of voting was raised in both the Committee’s survey and the Council on the Ageing Victoria’s survey (see Section 7.2). It was also raised by several stakeholders in this Inquiry.^[24] The importance of producing this information in plain language and a variety of accessible formats was also emphasised (see Section 7.3).^[25]

At the last state election, the VEC provided information for voters with disability through:

• a webpage with information about voting options^[26]
• an EasyVote guide which was published online as a PDF^[27]
• training 15 people with lived experience of disability to be Democracy Ambassadors, who delivered 52 sessions to 795 people with disability
• an Easy English election guide
• resources sent to disability services and education settings
• a video on voting with disability.^[28]

The VEC plans to do similar things at the 2026 state election, including:

• ‘work[ing] with peak bodies and community partners to provide targeted resources and ensure that appropriate information is distributed across their networks’
• delivering education sessions to staff in certain organisations
• having Democracy Ambassadors talk to community members about different voting options (and other matters)
• creating material in various formats, including Auslan and other videos.^[29]

The VEC will also mail a printed EasyVote guide to every household with electors at the 2026 election (see Section 7.4).

While these are positive plans, the Committee notes the evidence showing that some voters at previous elections needed more information about different ways of voting. The Committee encourages the VEC to monitor the reach of its information about voting options to identify any gaps.

7.6 Voters need to know about voting centres

In deciding how to vote, people with disability need clear information about voting centres so that they can make informed decisions. This information includes the accessibility limitations of individual voting centres, what support is available if they go to a voting centre and what will happen at a voting centre. It is also important that this information is provided sufficiently early that voters have time to decide where they want to go and to organise any support that they need.

7.6.1 Voters need more information about the accessibility of voting centres

When selecting a venue to use as a voting centre, the VEC has checklists of criteria to identify potential barriers to people with disability (see Section 4.2 of this report). As discussed in Section 4.2, however, these criteria are limited and largely focused on physical disability, especially wheelchair access. This is despite the fact that fewer than 14% of people with disability use mobility aids (including wheelchairs and other devices) for moving around places away from their homes or establishments.^[30]

The Committee would like to see these criteria extended to reflect the requirements of universal accessibility (see Section 4.2.3). The Committee understands that, in practice, not every voting centre will meet all the criteria. It is therefore essential that voters with disability have information that allows them to identify which voting centres will be suitable for them and which will present barriers.

Currently, the VEC publishes very limited information about the accessibility of voting centres. Each voting centre is classified into one of three categories based on its features:

• independent wheelchair access (IWA)
• assisted wheelchair access (AWA)
• limited or no wheelchair access (LNWA).

The only information published about the accessibility of a voting centre is which of these categories it fits into (see Figure 7.2). No details are provided about what barriers are present at an assisted or limited/no wheelchair access voting centre that prevented it being classified as independent wheelchair access.

Multiple submitters told the Committee that more detailed information would be helpful.^[31] For example, one submission suggested:

clearly noting … which accessibility features are available at each location—ie, accessible entrances and paths, including ramps and bathrooms, clearly marked places to for people to sit down while queueing, marked as priority, shaded areas while queueing or indoor queues, a quiet room/sensory room, a map/social script of what to expect—entrance, queues, expected wait time etc.^[32]

Another argued that:

VEC should publish centre-by-centre accessibility profiles in a consistent, searchable format well before voting. Each profile should include a plain English summary of key access features and limitations and be available in accessible formats. This recommendation ensures that communities can plan, choose and monitor outcomes over time.^[33]

As discussed in Chapter 4, the VEC records much more information about voting centres than what is published on its website and in other materials. This includes specifics such as the gradient of ramps, whether there is a narrow doorway and whether there is an accessible toilet. Publishing these details would be helpful for some voters to understand whether the venue presents barriers to them.

Publishing these details would mean that a broader range of voting centres would be available for some people. For example, if the entrance to a voting centre is less than 85 centimetres wide, it is not classified as ‘independent wheelchair access’.^[34] However, a narrower entrance may not be a barrier to some people with disability, including some with mobility issues. Knowing that a voting centre is accessible in other ways may mean that it suits some people with disability who do not need a wide entrance.

The Committee would also like to see information provided that would be useful to a broader range of people with disability (see Section 1.4.3). The current categorisation focuses on wheelchair access, although most people with disability do not use wheelchairs. They may require different information to understand whether there are barriers to them using a particular voting centre. For example, people with vision impairments may benefit from knowing whether there are tactile ground surface indicators or difficult access paths. People who are hard of hearing may need to know whether there are personal hearing amplifiers or similar systems. People with neurodiversity may benefit from knowing whether the voting centre is located in a busy or quieter environment.

In terms of how the additional information is presented, the Committee recommends two approaches.

Firstly, the VEC should set up a searchable online database, where all the accessibility criteria for each voting centre are stored. Users could then select the criteria that matter to them through an interface and a list of voting centres meeting those criteria could be returned to the user. Popular websites selling houses and cars use this sort of interface to help users identify the houses or cars meeting their needs.

Some submitters also suggested that it would be helpful to have real-time information about waiting times or accessibility issues at voting centres (see Section 5.4.1).^[35] If this sort of information could be added to the interface, this would be a valuable addition.

Subject to appropriate privacy considerations, the VEC could also anonymously record information from users’ queries. That information could be useful in understanding which criteria are most commonly needed by voters with disability and could be used as an input in the VEC’s future planning processes. The Committee notes that the data would need to be interpreted carefully, accounting for any biases from the fact that some people with disability are more likely to use a website than others.

A second way of presenting more information would be a more nuanced rating system that could be used in print publications and static webpages like the one shown in Figure 7.2. Rather than grouping voting centres into three categories, a series of letters or symbols could be used to identify key characteristics of each voting centre. For example, there might be a letter/symbol for accessible parking, another for accessible toilets, one for proximity to an accessible public transport stop, one for quieter voting centres. The VEC could work with its Electoral Access Advisory Group (see Section 3.5) to identify the five or six most important characteristics to display. These combinations could then be used in advertising, in the EasyVote guide and in other print formats.

The Brisbane Festival publishes a program with a combination of symbols for each event. These symbols indicate the event’s accessibility regarding a variety of disabilities. This includes whether there is wheelchair access, an assistive listening system, Auslan interpreting and/or a reduced sensory environment.^[36] In the United Kingdom, AccessAble provides information about a variety of venues, such as restaurants, shops and hotels. The website uses 33 symbols to provide information about different aspects of accessibility.^[37] In terms of displaying symbols with voting centre information, the Electoral Commission of South Australia has integrated the use of several accessibility symbols in its listing of voting centres.^[38] These could serve as models for the VEC.

This second approach is essential, as non-digital formats are important for some voters.^[39] The Committee therefore encourages the VEC to include as much information as practicable in printed formats like the EasyVote guide or print advertising.

7.6.2 Voters need to know more about what support is available

In addition to the physical aspects of voting centres, it is also important for people with disability to know what support is available in voting centres. This includes details of the assistance that can be provided by staff and the accessibility tools that are available. What information is published and where it is published varies from one election to another. In addition, some inaccurate information has been published in the past. It is important for the VEC to ensure that that does not continue to happen.

At the 2022 election, the VEC informed voters on its Voting options webpage that, ‘You can ask a friend, carer, trusted person or one of our staff for help’.^[40] Similar wording was included in the EasyVote guide for the 2026 Nepean District by-election.^[41] For the 2026 election, this information was not included on the Voting options page but on a page one level down titled What happens at a voting centre.^[42]

The Nepean District by-election EasyVote guide did not mention what accessibility tools were available, nor did it mention the personal hearing amplifiers offered (see Section 6.4). At the 2022 election, the accessibility tools and virtual Auslan interpreting service were not discussed on the Voting options webpage, but were on a different page titled What happens at a voting centre?^[43] For the 2026 election, information about accessibility tools and personal hearing amplifiers has been included on the Voting options page.^[44] The Committee is pleased to see this improvement, as the voting options page is the one where voters would most naturally go to understand their different options and select the option most suited to their needs. However, the page contained no information about the Auslan interpreting service when the Committee examined it in July 2026.

As discussed in Section 5.5, the option to vote outside a voting centre (for example, in your car) is not communicated at all and relies on voters somehow knowing about it and asking.

Several stakeholders noted a lack of awareness about what help people could ask for and what services were available at voting centres.^[45] The Committee believes that there is scope for the VEC to do more to let people know what support is available from staff and what accessibility tools are available at voting centres.

There have also been several instances where the VEC’s webpages have provided inaccurate information about options for people with disability. The initial version of the 2026 Voting options webpage incorrectly stated that all election-day voting centres would have assistive hearing devices.^[46] At the 2026 Nepean District by-election, the VEC’s website incorrectly indicated that people could receive large-print ballot papers on request.^[47] In 2022, the VEC advised people that all early voting centres would have hearing loops, though, in fact, personal hearing amplifiers were offered.^[48] The VEC needs to review its processes to ensure that precise, accurate information is provided on its website. If people make decisions based on inaccurate information about accessibility, they risk missing out on the most appropriate option for their needs.

7.6.3 Voters need to know what will happen at a voting centre

For some people with disability, it can be important to know in advance what a venue is like and what will happen there. A number of submissions called for this sort of information to be published for voting centres.^[49] As Ngaweeyan Maar-oo explained:

VEC should provide plain English and Easy English voter information, along with other accessible formats, that clearly explain what to expect at a voting centre, how to request support, and what assistance is available, including privacy safeguards. A simple ‘what to expect’ guide can significantly reduce anxiety and cognitive load, particularly for people with psychosocial disability, cognitive disability, or prior negative experiences with mainstream institutions.^[50]

Infrastructure Victoria similarly suggested better information about accessibility to help voters navigate voting centres.^[51] Infrastructure Victoria noted some work done by Parks Victoria on the accessibility of parks, which could serve as a model.^[52] Several submitters suggested the development of ‘access keys’ and ‘social stories’.

‘Access keys’ are illustrated guides that outline how people enter a venue, how they move around it and what the venue will be like. The Youth Disability Advocacy Service explains:

Access keys are particularly helpful for some Autistic people or people with certain types of mental illness because it helps alleviate the anxiety associated with going somewhere new. They are useful for people who use wheelchairs, or other forms of mobility or sensory impairments, because it describes the best way to get to and move around the venue.

They can also support CALD communities to understand Australian conventions, or let LGBTQIA people know about gender neutral bathrooms. They can also support people with prams or people with temporary injuries know where ramps and elevators might be.^[53]

The organisation suggests considering the following issues when developing an access key:

• How people will get to the venue
• How people will get into the venue
• How people will get around the venue
• What is in the space?
• What is the environment like?
• What barriers are there?
• Is there a quiet space?
• Is there going to be high-stimulation/scents/flashing lights?
• What about the bathrooms?^[54]

Access keys can help people to understand whether a particular venue is accessible to them and to prepare for the experience.

‘Social stories’ or ‘social scripts’ are another sort of document to help people prepare for an event like voting. Social stories use storytelling to explain what to expect when visiting a place, including details of social interactions.

The Australian Electoral Commission has developed social stories for voting at voting centres and voting by mail at Commonwealth elections.^[55]

The VEC’s Easy English guide to voting at the 2022 election included a two-page description of what to do at a voting centre.^[56] The VEC plans to expand its offerings in 2026 with access keys for its head office and at least two voting centres.^[57] The VEC has also committed to producing ‘electoral educational resources for people with disability e.g. social scripts/video modelling’ as part of delivering its Disability education and engagement plan.^[58]

The Committee supports the VEC’s efforts to develop resources to help people know what will happen at a voting centre, including access keys and social stories. The Committee understands that these are new initiatives for the 2026 election and are therefore being rolled out on a small scale. As a next step, it will be important for the VEC to carefully evaluate these projects after the 2026 election to learn how successful they have been at preparing people for the voting centre experience and whether there are improvements that could be made (see Section 9.3). The Committee encourages the VEC to undertake this evaluation, with a view to expanding the materials produced for future elections.

7.6.4 Voters need this information well in advance

Several people noted that this information should be provided in advance so that people can plan ahead.^[59] This information needs to be published as far in advance as possible. Some people may require information to identify the best voting centre for their needs with enough time to organise support with transportation. For some people, it may be that there are no voting centres close to them that are accessible. In that case, they need to know this information with enough time to organise alternative ways of voting, such as postal voting or telephone-assisted voting.

As Saumya Kaushik from Women with Disabilities Victoria explained:

there is a lot of advanced planning, preparation: how will you get there—by bus, car, friends, whether your support worker is going to be accompanying you or not, because they have to vote themselves as well.^[60]

The VEC stated that the details of the election-day voting centres were published on VEC’s website 17 days before election day in 2022.^[61] The Committee would like to see this information available earlier.

7.7 Voters need accessible information about candidates and parties

As noted in Section 2.3.2 of this report, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has recognised the importance of providing information about parties and candidates in accessible formats. In the Committee’s survey of voters with disability, ‘who or what to vote for’ was the most common sort of information that respondents needed but did not receive (see Figure 7.1). Similar results were found by the Council on the Ageing Victoria in its survey.^[62]

Stakeholders in this Inquiry also raised this issue. Joanna Middleton told the Committee:

I also ask every candidate in our electorate for easy English information about their policies but they never have any information for him [my son] to read. This should be compulsory in my opinion. How can my son exercise his democratic right to vote if no information is provided in a form accessible to him?^[63]

Blind Citizens Australia noted the importance of material from candidates and parties being produced in formats that are accessible to people with vision impairment, including candidate statements, how-to-vote cards and policy summaries.^[64] The organisation noted that:

Without access to information, voters who are blind or vision impaired cannot make informed choices, undermining the principle of equal participation in democratic processes. Delayed or inaccessible information on candidates or how to vote creates inequity and restricts the ability of blind and vision-impaired voters to independently assess candidates and policies.^[65]

Nicholas Brealey, who is a supported employee of Endeavour Foundation, told the Committee:

Another idea is for candidates to make short videos explaining who they are and what they want to achieve if they are elected. The videos should include an Auslan interpreter, captions, and be in plain language with no jargon. They should be kept short, around two to three minutes.

These videos could be made available to anyone who needs them by putting a QR code on advertisements, posters, and in newspapers. Voters could then watch in their own time, pause and rewatch, and share with family members who are helping them.^[66]

There is clearly a need for more information about candidates and parties in accessible formats. This is something that candidates and parties could do themselves and the Committee strongly encourages this. The Committee notes the I Can Vote project, which has worked with candidates and parties to produce easy language videos at previous elections.^[67] The Committee encourages parties and candidates to work with groups like I Can Vote to produce accessible information.

However, there would be benefits to a government body facilitating this and providing a single place where voters could go to find information about candidates and parties. This body could also encourage the production of materials in accessible formats and guide candidates and parties on how to do this.

The Committee has previously discussed the problem of who should take responsibility for this, noting the VEC’s concerns about it taking on this role.^[68] The Committee recommended additional work on this issue.^[69] The Committee also recommended further work to support people with intellectual and cognitive disability to vote, including providing them with the information they need.^[70] The Committee continues to believe that further work is necessary on these topics.

7.8 Communicating at the voting centre

As discussed earlier in this chapter, it is important for people to get information before they get to a voting centre. It is also critical that people can easily get the information they need to vote at a voting centre and can easily communicate what they need to voting centre staff.

Multiple submissions also called for staff to be trained in communicating with people with disability. This is discussed in Chapter 8 of this report. Assistive listening systems and virtual Auslan interpreting services can also help communication between voters and staff. These are explored in Sections 6.4 and 6.5 of this report.

7.8.1 The VEC should provide Easy English or Easy Read information at voting centres

Several submitters recommended having printed Easy English or Easy Read information available in voting centres.^[71] Endeavour Foundation explained:

We also heard that the environment of voting centres and the delivery of complicated voting instructions can be very overwhelming for people with intellectual disability creating confusion especially between elections where the process to vote differs (Federal vs State), this is made worse when there’s a feeling of time pressure in a busy voting location.

The people we support raised that the commission should adopt written Easy Read/Easy English instructions for all voters and have them available inside voting booths. Easy Read is a communication format specifically designed to enhance the accessibility of information for individuals with diverse literacy levels and cognitive abilities. It employs a set of strategies that simplify language, utilise clear design principles, and incorporate visual aids to improve overall readability.^[72]

Joshua Lucey from Endeavour Foundation further suggested that these instructions should be proactively offered to voters and not just available on request.^[73]

The Committee supports the idea of having Easy English or Easy Read voting instructions readily available in voting centres. This could be done with posters, laminated sheets in every voting compartment or by providing the staff handing out ballot papers with materials that they can offer people.

The Committee also notes that this information was previously provided through an app called Voters Voice. However, this app was discontinued in favour of providing information through the VEC’s website (see Section 6.7.1).

In terms of directing people in voting centres to information online, the VEC trialled directing people to information in multiple languages through a QR code printed in voting booths in 2022. However, this got very limited use.^[74] The VEC did not evaluate the initiative to understand why the use was so limited (see further discussion in Section 9.3.1). Nonetheless, given the low use of the QR codes, the Committee considers that printed material should be available in addition to any digital versions.

In Section 5.7.2, the Committee notes the importance of placing signs and information at the appropriate locations.

7.8.2 Pre-registration could help voters communicate their needs to staff

Some people with disability must communicate their needs to voting centre staff to access the support and specific arrangements that they need. Currently, this relies on voters or their carers talking with staff at the voting centre on the day. Submissions to this Inquiry suggested some ways to make this communication easier.

Several submissions suggested voters registering their needs online before they vote.^[75] It may be possible for this to be integrated where the VEC uses electronic roll mark-off. When a voter is marked off the roll, the system could create an alert identifying any needs that the voter has registered. This could assist people who have difficulties communicating or people who prefer not to have to announce their needs in a voting centre. There may also be other systems that would enable the VEC to do this.

Pre-registration could also provide opportunities to direct voters to the most appropriate voting centre for their needs. If combined with a booking system, voters could even book a specific time for help, which may assist with managing a voting centre.

The Committee has not investigated the practicality of this concept, but believes that the VEC should explore this idea further. In exploring the idea, the VEC should take into account privacy and security implications as well as the potential benefits to voters.

7.8.3 Voting passports could help voters understand what is available and communicate their needs to staff

An alternative approach is for voters to have a card or document that they can show to election staff. This document would then indicate their needs.^[76] In the UK, a project called ‘Promote the Vote’ has been undertaken which includes a ‘voting passport’, identifying voters’ rights.^[77] A number of voting passports have been created in the UK which also provide forms giving voters with a chance to indicate any help that they will need at a voting centre.

These are PDF documents that can be downloaded and printed, which include lists of the supports available. Voters can tick the supports that they need, identify any other help that they might need and indicate whether they would like help from an election official or somebody else. These passports can then be shown to voting centre staff so that they can organise the appropriate support.

As an example, Figure 7.3 shows a voting passport developed for the City of Bradford in the United Kingdom.

In Australia, a similar product was developed as part of the I Can Vote project. Plan to vote helps someone develop a plan for the entire voting experience, including learning about politics and elections, travelling to and from voting centres and completing the ballot papers.^[78] This is a valuable document but does not have the same level of detail about support needed in the voting centre as seen in the examples from the United Kingdom.

While the Committee is not aware of any evaluation of the effectiveness of voting passports, the Committee considers that these are likely to be helpful for some voters with disability. They provide a number of potential benefits:

• by including a list of the types of support that a voter can ask for, they communicate what is available and acceptable and may reduce anxiety about whether it is appropriate to ask for a particular type of support
• because voters can fill the forms out in advance (with help from a support person if needed), voters have time to consider what they would like to request
• they allow voters to ask for help in a non-verbal way, which may be more comfortable or easier than speaking with voting centre staff
• handing a piece of paper to a staff member with a voter’s needs may be more private than having a conversation in front of other people standing in a line.

If the voting passport also included fields for a person to write their name and address, this could be shown to voting centre staff when marking the voter off the electoral roll. This may facilitate communication at this point of the process as well.

Given the low cost involved with this program, the Committee considers that this would be worth trying in Victoria. Having the VEC produce an official voting passport which is published on its website would legitimise the document and ensure that it includes correct and helpful information. The VEC may wish to work with I Can Vote to incorporate this into their Plan to vote document or to link the two documents. While the idea of the voting passport was initially designed for people with a learning disability, the Committee considers that this could be helpful for people with other disabilities too, especially anything that makes communication difficult.