Accessible voting

Everyone has the right to vote independently and in secret when there is an election. West Berkshire Council aim to remove as many barriers as we can to enable all voters to vote independently or with assistance if needed.

We do our best to make sure that registering to vote and voting is as easy as possible for everyone. The Electoral Services team is committed to ensuring that we review these processes and engage with the community.  

Polling station accessibility

We offer a range of support and equipment to enable people to vote independently. The following provisions are in place at polling stations to support all of our electors:

• ramps where needed so polling stations are wheelchair accessible
• adapted level polling booths for wheelchair users
• tactile voting devices, large print ballot papers and magnifiers to enable blind and partially sighted people to mark their ballot papers independently
• pencil grips to attach to pencils when marking the ballot paper
• if you are unable to stand for long periods of time, seating will be provided so that you can wait where you are comfortable
• electors are permitted to bring along their own equipment to assist them in voting, such as coloured overlays to place over the ballot papers, or using apps on their mobile phone to assist with reading the information
• assistance dogs are welcome

If you need extra support on polling day, please speak to a member of polling staff so they are aware of any adjustments you need. They will be wearing 'here to help' badges, or a staff lanyard to help you identify who is working at the polling station. They can provide further advice or assistance for voters, such as explaining the voting process, using the equipment, reading out names and parties on the ballot paper.

You can take a trusted companion, who is over the age of 18, to the polling station to help you vote. They will be asked to complete a form by the polling station staff and will be permitted to help you in the polling booth if you need them to. 

If you would like to make a request for additional equipment or support in your polling station before polling day, please email vote@westberks.gov.uk or phone 01635 519464.
 

Other ways to vote

If you don't want to go to the polling station to vote, you can vote by having a postal vote sent your home. Alternatively, you can let someone you trust go to the polling station and vote for you - this is called proxy voting.

You can find further information about applying for a postal or proxy vote on our 'Registering to vote and postal voting' page.
 

Guides for voters with a learning disability

My Vote My Voice is a campaign developed by United Response, Dimensions, Mencap, Ambitious About Autism and other charities. Their mission is to encourage people with learning disabilities and autistic people to vote. They have developed many easy read guides, not only on how to vote but also on what councils do and how to interact with your councillors.

Click the links below to find their guides specific to voting:

• Quick guide to voting
• Registering to vote
• How to vote by post
• How to vote by proxy

Guides for voters who use British Sign Language (BSL)

If you use BSL, the following video guides might be useful:

• BSL - All about voting from the different types of applications to visiting the polling station (ignore the dates but the information is up to date)
• BSL - What ID can I use to vote and applying for free ID

Report an accessibility issue

If you see an accessibility issue at a polling station, please report this to Electoral Services team on 01635 519464 or email vote@westberks.gov.uk.