Voting Process for Persons with Disabilities and Older Persons

Updated: November 2020

Combined Disabilities Association (CDA), a disabled persons' organization (DPO) in Jamaica, with support from the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), produced a video on the electoral process. The video shows Jamaicans with disabilities how to bring an assistant with them to help them mark and cast a ballot. A transcript of the video is available below.

 

[Transcript begins]

 

Poll worker: Hi, good morning. May I have your voter identification card, please? Thank you. Alright it seems you are eligible to vote at this polling station.

 

Voter: I [have a visual disability] and so my friend here will be assisting me with voting.

 

Poll worker: Ok, so then you are required to take an oath or affirm that you are unable to see and you do need assistance. Similarly, your friend is required to take an oath or affirm that she will not disclose for whom you have voted. I'll be now issuing to you your ballot. You're required to fold it twice, as I am doing here, with my signature being visible. You should advise your friend or family member who you want to vote for. She will use the pencil and place an "X" beside the symbol. You can go with her to the voting booth.

 

Narrator: What to do? Know your polling station. Find a trusted family or friend to help. Be COVID-19 safe. Both voter and friend must take an oath. Vote behind booth. Fold ballot to conceal vote.

 

Poll worker: Thank you. So now I will be removing the counterfoil. I'll be required to sanitize your hand, after which you'll be required to use your right index finger and dip it in the ink. Alright, so just before you go, your friend is not permitted to assist anybody else during this election, OK?

 

Voter and assistant: OK.

 

Poll worker: Alright, great. Have a good day.

 

[Transcript ends]