Electoral rights ombudsmen at Civil Network OPORA have been monitoring the accessibility of election precincts on the eve of local elections. They inspect the inclusion of election process, focusing on three types of accessibility: in architecture, transport and information. We urge all active citizens to help us create a database of polling stations in Ukraine that lack accessibility. You can learn about the requirements and standards, as well as report inaccessible precincts at: https://ombudsman.oporaua.org/dostupnist

OPORA's electoral rights ombudsmen, whose activities are supported by the EU, have monitored the accessibility of polling stations based on sociologically based sampling. Monitoring results will soon be published in a report. Thanks to a sampling that covers almost 500 polling stations, one may scale the result at a national level and learn about the total number of inaccessible polls. Thus, 40.8% of polling stations in the country turned out to be inaccessible.

We invite interested citizens to join inspection of accessibility at polling stations. Basic accessibility requirements are briefly listed on the website. Of course, you probably won't be able to measure the front door or the voting booth, but you will definitely be able to take a picture of stairs, as well as missing or non-standard ramp at the entrance using your smartphone. You can send this information via a form at: https://forms.gle/K4TeHc4PJ4dkpZme9. You may also follow the corresponding reference at the website.

At the same time, civic ombudsmen cooperate with the Central Election Commission, competent authorities, local governments, local accessibility committees and other stakeholders. They will jointly develop effective solutions that can later be replicated to any polling station.

Material is prepared under project “Electoral reform to strengthen the power of agents of change and support public dialog”, which is being implemented by the Civil Network OPORA with assistance of the EU ombudsman.oporaua.org/about_project

 

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