EC allows help to disabled voters

By A Staff Reporter  Kathmandu, May 9: The Election Commission (EC) has granted permission to the disabled voters to seek help from their family members while casting vote. 

Issuing a press statement on Sunday, the EC said it has granted permission for the presence of helpers to the needy disabled voters across the country to cast votes in the local election of May 13. Shaligram Sharma Paudel, spokesperson for EC, said that the EC had urged all the Returning Election Officers to help the needy and physically disabled voters in their respective polling stations.

“The Election Commission has asked to provide a helper to the needy and physically disabled voters to cast their vote in the local poll, it is their right to participate in the election process and select desirable candidates for leadership,” he said in the statement.  

According to him, if a voter is blind or physically disabled or unable to cast his/her vote for any other reason in the local level election and seeks permission to take his/her family member with him/her to the secret polling station, they can take their helper inside the secret place for the purpose with the permission from the Returning Election Officer. 

“There is a provision for a blind voter or a person accompanying a voter who is unable to cast his/her vote on the ballot paper to indicate his/her vote in the presence of the polling officer, and if a voter is blind or has a physical disability or is unable to cast his or her vote for any other reason, s/he may request a polling official to assist in polling,” read the statement.

The Election Commission urges the stakeholders to clarify that if the polling officer deems it appropriate, s/he should assist in casting his/her vote on the ballot paper of such voter as per his/her wish.