International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES)
When election commissions use IFES toolkits and checklists to plan tactile ballots and audit polling-place accessibility ahead of elections, blind voters can mark ballots independently and officials can find and fix barriers before voting day.
ENABLE Model location​
- Pre-launch Interventions → Set Requirements that Include Accessibility
- Pre-launch Interventions → Create Accessible Content
- Pre-launch Interventions → Design Accessible Experiences
- Pre-launch Interventions → Develop Accessible Implementations
What it is​
People use toolkits provided by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) to establish tactile ballots and accessible polling sites before an election day. This ensures that electoral processes incorporate accessibility from the foundational stages, rather than being an afterthought.
Why it matters​
This intervention is crucial because setting clear requirements for accessibility at the outset defines it as a core obligation for electoral processes, rather than a discretionary add-on. Without codified expectations around accessibility, subsequent actions like designing ballots or setting up polling places might operate in ambiguity or neglect, leading to exclusion being baked into the infrastructure of voting. By providing these toolkits, IFES helps election commissions mandate inclusion from the start, preventing significant downstream burdens on disabled voters.
Real-world example​
In North Macedonia, the State Election Commission and partners used a modified IFES polling-station accessibility checklist to audit 2,733 sites before elections, informing pre-election fixes. 1
What care sounds like​
- “Our election team is using the new guidelines to ensure every polling station is fully accessible to all voters before the upcoming election.”
- “We are incorporating tactile features into all ballot designs2 to make sure visually impaired citizens can vote independently.”
- “Let's make sure our procurement language for voting machines explicitly mandates accessibility standards from the outset.”
What neglect sounds like​
- “Accessibility for voters isn't a top priority for this election cycle; we'll address it in future elections if there’s time.”
- “We don't need to specify accessible entrances for every polling place; people will figure it out.”
- “The new digital voting system is faster, and voters with special needs can just bring a helper.”
What compensation sounds like​
- “I had to allow representatives from both political parties to read my ballot at the polling place just to make sure I was marking it correctly”.
- “I had to file a complaint with the county election board because the voting booth wasn't accessible for my wheelchair, and the staff didn't know how to help”.
- “We organized a social media campaign to protest the lack of accessible voting options in our district, hoping to pressure officials to make changes before the next election”.