Rights and Standards

The "Bill of Electoral Rights for Citizens with Disabilities" calls on states to meet their obligation to take effective measures to ensure that all citizens with disabilities are able to exercise their universal right to participate fully and on equal terms in electoral processes.

The "Bill of Electoral Rights for Citizens with Disabilities" was drafted and endorsed by participants attending a four-day workshop held from 14-17 September, 2002, in Sigtuna, Sweden. Participants from twenty-four nations included disability rights experts and activists, senior election administration officials, and representatives of the Inter Parliamentary Union, the Council of Europe, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The Workshop was jointly convened by the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) and the International Institute on Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), with funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

In addition to endorsing the "Bill of Electoral Rights," the workshop participants discussed and drafted a set of "Standards of Electoral Access for Citizens with Disabilities." These Standards are integral to and explanatory of the "Bill of Electoral Rights for Citizens with Disabilities."