Voting in Scotland and UK elections
Image: A person dropping a piece of paper into a ballot box
Over 150 years since the 1872 Ballot Act granted the right to a secret vote, many blind and partially sighted people still have to ask other people to help them to vote.
Only a quarter of blind people feel that the current system allows them to vote independently and in secret.
Find out more about blind and partially sighted people's experiences of voting in the 2024 General Election in RNIB’s Turned Out 2024 report.
Looking for a better Scotland
RNIB Scotland's manifesto, ‘Looking For A Better Scotland’, urged all political parties to commit to action ahead of the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections, including ensuring people with sight loss can vote independently and in secret.
The Scottish context
The Scotland Act 2016 devolved legislative responsibility to the Scottish Parliament for running Scotland-wide elections (Scottish Parliament, Local Government; and referenda), while Scottish electoral officials administer UK-wide elections in Scotland under UK legislation. RNIB Scotland worked closely with the Scottish Government Elections Team, the Electoral Management Board for Scotland and the Electoral Commission (Scotland) to improve the accessibility of elections in Scotland. Working in partnership with the Forth Valley Sensory Centre, we tested potential accessible voting solutions for blind and partially sighted voters.
As a result, a card ballot paper overlay and linked audio ballot paper was available for the first time at all polling stations for the Scottish Parliament election on Thursday 7 May 2026.
Watch our video to find out how to vote with the new card overlay.
Will I need voter ID to vote?
In Scotland, Voter ID is required for UK-wide elections such as General Elections, but not for Scotland-wide elections such as council elections or Scottish Parliament elections .
Where can I find out more about voting?
RNIB Scotland collaborated with the Electoral Commission, the Electoral Management Board for Scotland, Guide Dogs Scotland, Sight Scotland, Sight Scotland Veterans and Visionary to produce a Scottish Parliament 2026 election guide for blind and partially sighted voters.
The guide is available below, and on the Electoral Commission website.
How do I listen to the audio ballot paper?
The new card overlays can be used alongside an audio list of candidates that matches each of your ballot papers.
Audio ballot paper, also called spoken ballot papers, will be provided by your local council ahead of elections. This will usually be on their website or via a phone line.
Let us know what you think
We are keen and ready to work with people with sight loss and the Scottish sight loss sector alongside the Scottish Government Elections Team, the Electoral Management Board for Scotland, and the Electoral Commission to develop feasible accessible voting aids for blind and partially sighted voters.
If you have a voting experience you would like to share with us, you can contact us at: [email protected].
