Taking someone with you
If you have a disability, you can take someone with you into the polling station to help you vote. The person helping you must be legally eligible to vote.
Equipment and adjustments in polling stations
Polling stations aim to meet accessibility needs as far as reasonably practicable. Adjustments and equipment may include:
- disabled parking and ramps for easy access
- wheelchair-accessible booths and voting booths positioned for best lighting
- chairs for people who cannot stand for long periods
- accessibility voting packs, which may include:
- pencil grips
- large print copies of the ballot paper
- large magnifiers
- service animals/ assistance dogs are permitted.
- tactile voting device and card overlays to support those visually impaired to mark their vote on the ballot paper in the correct place
In addition to the above, 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.
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.
Audio Recordings of the Ballot Paper
Audio recordings are available to support voters who wish to use the card overlays provided at the polling place. These are spoken recordings of the text of the ballot for the Shetland Islands Constituency and the Highlands and Islands Region and are available to download or listen to by following the link below.
Spoken ballots for the constituency and the region
British Sign Language (BSL) videos
What will happen at the polling station
Electoral Commission voting guides
Deaf young people aged 16+ who will be voting for the first time in the upcoming Scottish Elections
Scotland’s national British Sign Language video interpreting relay service is called Contact Scotland BSL. It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for all Scottish callers.
Easy-read guides for voters with a learning disability
My Vote My Voice website has easy-read guides about:
Requesting additional support
If you need additional support or reasonable adjustments not listed above, contact the Election Office before polling day.
Election Office Helpline: 01595 744066