The Electoral Commission says it is working on printing Braille ballot papers for the blind to be used in the 2016 general elections. It will be the first time the Braille system is applied in the country’s elections. Previously, visually impaired voters have been helped by guides to cast their ballot. But there have been concerns that some guides can take advantage of the voter’s inability to see what they are doing, and go on to manipulate their choice. And one such concerned person is John Nataba, a visually impaired youth who hails from Ntungamo district. During the launch of a report titled: “Youth Participation Road Map to Uganda’s 2016 Elections and Beyond,” in Kampala recently, he told the Electoral Commission chairman Eng. Badru Kiggundu that he was worried about the legitimacy of the intentions of the person helping him to vote.
“We are concerned that every time the country goes for general elections there are no Braille ballot papers for the blind. How sure am I that the person guiding me to tick the ballot paper ticks the right candidate of my choice?”
In response, Kiggundu said the Electoral Commission is “working on it” after a visit to Ghana where Braille ballot papers are used.
“We visited some countries and it’s only Ghana who used it and the Electoral Commission is working on it,” Kiggundu told the youth, government officials, development partners, university students and members of civil society organizations.
Full Article: Plans to use Braille ballot papers in 2016 polls.