More needs to be done to ensure visually impaired people can vote, RNIB says

The Elections Act 2022 did not bring “significant improvements to enable blind and partially sighted people to have the same right as everyone else to vote independently,” the charity said

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Polling station sign on a sunny day with the Union Jack in the background

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Lucy Miller

02 August 2025

More needs to be done to ensure that blind and partially sighted people can vote independently and in secret, the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has said.

The charity was responding to the House of Commons’ Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee’s Review of the 2024 General Election, which was published on 22 July.

The report noted a lack of knowledge and awareness about the ability to request reasonable adjustments at polling stations.

“We know this is particularly the case when it comes to equipment or additional help to help people with sight loss vote,” RNIB policy manager, Mike Wordingham, said.

The report quoted RNIB’s Turned Out survey, which was conducted after the 2024 General Election and found that only 26% of RNIB members felt the current system allowed them to vote independently and in secret.

Only half of those surveyed were satisfied with their experience at the General Election, with 28% saying the support they received at the polling station was poor or very poor.

Almost three quarters (73%) of those surveyed by the RNIB did not know they could request reasonable adjustments, the committee report acknowledged.

The charity disagrees with the view of the Electoral Commission that “the Elections Act 2022 brought significant improvements to enable blind and partially sighted people to have the same right as everyone else to vote independently and in secret,” Wordingham added.

The RNIB welcomed the findings of the committee report, which stated that more needs to be done to improve accessibility in this area.

“It is right that the Government has made clear its commitment to supporting disabled people to vote how they choose and use a method that works best for them,” Wordingham said.

“Solutions exist but are not being provided consistently,” he added.

Wordingham emphasised that the elections and democracy bill, which was part of the Government’s election manifesto and is expected to be introduced later in 2025, “is a critical opportunity for the Government to address this injustice.”