News

Volume 6 Issue 9 - October 15, 2009

Access Audit of Election Booths

D.N.I.S. News Network, India: In a step to encourage active participation from civil society groups towards making the Assembly polls accessible, the Election Commission (E.C.) accepted a voluntary offer from certain disability sector professionals and activists for access audits of polling booths in Mumbai. According to Debashish Chakrabarty, Chief Electoral Officer, Maharashtra, the results may be used by E.C. for its future endeavors.

In 2007, the Supreme Court had directed that the election process should be disabled friendly. In the last general elections, N.C.P.E.D.P. led a huge campaign to make voting accessible and got a positive response from Navin Chawla, Chief Election Commissioner. Elaborate arrangements for ramps and Braille ballot papers were thus made for the 2009 parliamentary elections.