City Introduces Voting System for Residents with Visual Impairments
Every resident must be able to cast their vote independently and in privacy during the municipal elections on March 18. For residents with a visual impairment, the municipality is therefore introducing a voting aid. This aid is available at the polling station in the Dorpskerk. The host or hostess there will be happy to assist residents.
Anyone who wants to vote should be able to do so. All polling places must therefore be accessible and easy to reach. For residents who have difficulty reading the ballot, for example, a magnifying glass with a light is provided. In addition, more and more municipalities are providing voting booths with audio assistance.
Fundamental Right
“I’m glad we can now offer this resource in Voorschoten as well,” says Mayor Nadine Stemerdink. “Voting is a fundamental right. That makes it all the more important that residents are able to exercise it. We’ve chosen one of the two polling stations in ’t Voorhuys at the Dorpskerk as the location. It’s a familiar and easily accessible spot. I sincerely hope we’ll be able to welcome as many residents as possible who want to use the voting booth.”
How does the voting system work?
A polling station worker places the ballot in a template with holes. Through a soundbox connected to headphones, the voter hears which parties and candidates are on the list. The voter also hears the number of the party and the desired candidate. On the template, the parties are indicated with tactile numbers and in Braille. The voter finds the correct candidate by counting the holes under the desired party and coloring the box red with the voting pencil.
Want to know more?
The municipality will be focusing extra attention on the elections in the coming period. Would you like to know more right now, particularly about the accessibility of polling places? Visit www.voorschoten.nl/gemeenteraadsverkiezingen-2026. Can’t find the answer to your question? Send an email to verkiezingen@voorschoten.nl.