As Thailand’s General Election 2023 is drawing near, it may seem to be a matter of personal choice whether to exercise our right to vote but, for people with disabilities and the elderly with physical limitations, there are complications. For them, it is not just about their will or right to vote, but also having access to the facilities throughout the voting procedure that ensure their ability to vote.
Know Your Rights
Thailand’s MP Election Act of 2018 stipulates that voting booths be prepared for people with disabilities and the elderly within the constituency, under the supervision of the election commission, with trained staff and equipment that meet their needs. The voting booths have to be placed 1.5 m. apart and contain a chair.
The law also allows assistance in voting by a person of the elector’s own choice, a family member or another trusted person, to mark the ballot paper for them. The election commission at the unit then writes a remark in the report to account for independent and private voting. Effectively assisting voters with disabilities should not be seen as an additional burden, but as part of the normal voting process.
On 27th March, 2023, the election commission emphasised the importance of and procedures for voting by people with disabilities.
Lessons Learnt
Despite the laws and current facilities, the feedback from the last election in 2020 collected by “ThisAbleMe”, the websites and Facebook pages which communicate rights, welfare and issues relating to people with disabilities, suggests that there was a gap in the procedures and recommends possible measures for improvement this year.
Interviewees for the group said that some staff were untrained or not specifically trained about the limitations of each type of disability. They may lack understanding or skip some of the procedures that guarantee the free expression of people with disabilities. On occasion, people with disabilities hat to sign to show that they showed up to vote, but no ballot was completed.
Different needs require different equipment. There have been cases of insufficient and ineffective equipment. For example, a person with impaired vision may be provided with a paper or a machine with keypads marked in Braille, or a simplified version of the instructions for voters with developmental disabilities could be provided. Some reflected that the polling stations lacked inclusive communication, such as hand signing or assisted hearing devises for the hard of hearing explaining the various political party manifestos.
The project coordinator of Disabled Peoples’ International Asia-Pacific Region, Suppawat Samuepak, also a person with disabilities, was interviewed by BBC Thai in 2019 and said that allowing the election commission to assist in voting is an option. He advised polling station staff to ask each individual what specific help they need. The assistance required is not necessarily just a matter of marking the ballot for them, it is different for each person.
The Election Commission can start by taking a survey and collating data on the number of people who need assistance in the election process and the types of disabilities in each district of each province. Then they need to arrange for specifically trained staff and equipment for each area.
According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), article 29, on participation in political and public life, says that “States Parties shall guarantee to persons with disabilities political rights and the opportunity to enjoy them on an equal basis with others” by “Ensuring that voting procedures, facilities and materials are appropriate, accessible and easy to understand and use”. So, it is not just about providing special units, trained staff and equipment but also thinking through their journey throughout the whole voting procedure, from providing information prior to the election and transportation to the voting unit and the voting itself.
“In some countries such as Indonesia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Nepal, they have procured a ‘mobile unit’ which visits the homes of both people with disabilities and the elderly. In some European countries, a ‘proxy vote’, cast by a family member on one’s behalf, is allowed. Unfortunately, Thai law states that voting can only be done at a formal polling station.” Pongsak Chanorn, the coordinator of the Asian Network For Free Elections (ANFREL) stated in an interview with ThisAbleMe.
Inclusivity
Eventually, disability is distinct from deficiency. A person with disabilities is perceived as “deficient” only when they interact with able bodied society and environment. Once we create an inclusive environment, which provides equality in their political participation, the connection between ‘disabilities and ‘deficiency’ will soon be diminished, paving the way for a more just freedom and the ability fully to engage in public affairs, to which they are entitled.
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References:
https://www.thaipbs.or.th/news/content/326003
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1489570454513971
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=382075145953675
