There are over 3,200 voters with disabilities in Chin State, said Joshua, Director of the Disability Development Initiative (DDI).
“In 2015, there were many problems. We reported it to the Election Commission.”
The commission said it will make arrangements for the voters with disabilities in the upcoming election. We suggested the commission should open the polling stations on the ground floor instead of upstairs.” Joshua added “The voters with disabilities can ask for help from a reliable person if they have difficulty in casting their votes.”
The DDI director also understands that because of COVID-19, some voters with disabilities can cast advance votes freely if they are worried about going to the polling stations. These arrangements will cover voters with disabilities in Chin State, but they are waiting for this to be confirmed in the polling station handbook that is coming out soon.
U Lin Kyaw, Secretary of Chin State Election Sub-Commission said: “The first point is the voters with disabilities are allowed to make advance voting, when they are unable to take a relative, parent, brothers or other person to the polling stations for in-person voting. The voters with disabilities can take the said persons to the polling stations for in-person voting. Or else, they can ask for the help from officials from the polling stations. The sub-commission has built the polling stations on the downstairs to enable the persons with disabilities to cast their votes.”
There are 342,142 eligible voters and 1,107 polling stations in Chin State, according to the Chin State Election Sub-Commission Office.
