People with disability face significant challenges in casting their vote, despite the Australian Electoral Commission’s efforts to make elections more accessible for everyone.
With a paltry 43% of our 7,000 polling places fully wheelchair accessible and just 48% with assisted access, is the AEC failing in its aim to “ensure people with disability are not disadvantaged when participating in the electoral system, and that they have full access to the voting process”? (https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/the-vote-casting-hurdle-these-australians-face/ja0dm5uby)
Whilst the AEC’s fully accessible polling place numbers will reportedly increase from the 2022 federal election (21.6% to 43%), there will be a decline in assisted access venues (from 62.3% to 48%) – https://www.aec.gov.au/referendums/files/supports-available-for-people-with-disability.pdf.
It is also important that in understanding the true impact of these numbers in the democratic process, demographic and geographic factors (including the locations of these venues vs local voting citizens’ needs for accessibility, and how far people need to travel to access polling stations that meet their needs) must also be considered.
PDA’s CEO, Jeremy Muir, said “We all have the right to vote. It is mandatory and you can be fined if you do not vote, so shouldn’t all polling booths, all pre-polling booths be fully accessible for every registered voter?”
Venue accessibility is also just one part of our country’s accessible elections conversation. PDA’s WA Director Melanie Hawkes shared her recent difficulties in voting at the WA elections (https://www.pda.org.au/2025/03/13/my-state-election-experience/) – particularly in terms of being able to fill in oversized ballot papers.
Despite the AEC having a range of initiatives in place to make elections more accessible (such as accessible communication, enrolment and voting options, and polling place accessibility), there needs to be a greater understanding of the myriad of accessibility issues that exist and these can only be truly addressed through involving the disability community in co-design projects.
So how do you think the election process could be better streamlined to ensure that all Australians are provided with the ability to utilise their democratic right and have their say?
What issues have you encountered in being part of a democratic Australia?
