Accessibility

Accessibility for Voters

Information about voting in the Scottish Parliament election in accessible formats.

The Scottish Parliamentary Election will be held on 7 May 2026.

Every voter should have the right to vote independently and in secret. If you are voting in person, polling places are set up with a range of accessibility supports to help you cast your vote.

The Electoral Commission has published Your Guide to voting in the Scottish Parliament election. The guide is also available in the following accessible formats:

The Electoral Commission has worked with partners to create a guide for blind or partially sighted voters in the Scottish Parliament election.

You can contact the Electoral Commission for an audio CD version of the guide, or a braille version.

Sight Scotland have produced a useful blog, Your Voice, Your Vote, to support voters who are blind, partially sighted, or a veteran with sight loss to access support and cast their vote confidently.

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has produced helpful information to support blind or partially sighted people in relation to voting in Scotland and UK elections, including a video on the new accessible voting aid in Scotland.

Contact Scotland BSL is Scotland's national British Sign Language video interpreting service, offering free unlimited calls for all BSL users living in Scotland, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The Electoral Commission has also produced guidance on accessibility at polling stations. You can also vote by post or by asking someone to vote on your behalf (known as proxy voting).

Other Languages

The Electoral Commission has published Your guide to voting in the Scottish Parliament election in the following languages:

Should you require information in a different language or format, please contact the Elections Team using the details below.

Accessibility at Polling Stations

Everyone should be able to register and cast their vote without facing barriers. They should be able to vote on their own and in secret. The Elections Act 2022 introduces changes to further assist voters at polling stations.

Polling places will be open from 7am to 10pm. If there is a queue, you will still be able to vote as long as you joined it before 10pm.

What's new

Voters who require reasonable adjustments will be able to choose anyone who is over 18 to accompany them in the polling station to help them vote.

You can also ask the person in charge of the polling station, known as the Presiding Officer, to help you fill in your ballot paper. They are legally bound by the Requirement for Secrecy and your vote will remain secret.

We will also take all reasonable steps to support voters to improve the range and quality of support.

Accessing the polling station

All polling stations are visited and assessed in advance in terms of accessibility.
Polling stations have level or ramped access available to support voters who use a wheelchair or have difficulty using steps.
Polling stations have car parking provision so that voters who require reasonable adjustments may park as close as possible to the station.
Service animals and assistance dogs are permitted.

Information for voters

To help voters understand the voting process and how to mark their ballot paper, the following are provided at each polling station:

A notice inside the polling station providing instructions on how to vote at the election.
A notice in each polling booth providing information on how to mark the ballot paper at the election.
Large print sample copies of the ballot paper displayed inside the polling station to assist voters who are partially sighted, and also voters who would like some time to look at the ballot paper before entering the polling booth.
An enlarged hand-held copy of the ballot paper, which can be given to voters who are partially sighted to take into the polling booth for reference when marking their ballot paper.

Support within the polling station

Every polling station will have the following equipment and support in place:

Aids and equipment

Braille overlays and oversized ballot papers
Magnifiers to increase the size of text
Additional lighting
Tactile voting device for visually impaired voters
Polling booth at wheelchair level
Pencil grips for voters with dexterity impairments
Chair and seating for voters who cannot stand for long periods

Staff support

Badges clearly identifying polling station staff who can assist
Additional staff at Pickaquoy Centre to guide and assist voters
The Presiding Officer can help you fill in your ballot paper if needed
You may bring someone over 18 of your choice to assist you

The Returning Officer also allows voters who require reasonable adjustments to use any text-to-speech apps, torch or magnifier that they have on their phone to assist them in reading their ballot paper.

Spoken ballot paper

A spoken version of the ballot paper is available for voters who require it.

Ways to vote

Voting in person at the polling station is not the only way you can vote. You may also apply to vote by post.

Get in touch

If you wish to know more about the accessibility arrangements at the specific polling place shown on your polling card, or to request information in a different language or format, please contact the Elections Team.

Should you wish to provide feedback on accessibility provision during your visit to a polling station, you can ask the Presiding Officer to pass your comments on to their Inspector, or contact us directly.

Elections Office
Council Offices
School Place
Kirkwall
Orkney
KW15 1NY
Tel: 01856 886350
Email: electionoffice@orkney.gov.uk

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