Scope statement on Electoral Commission report

Commenting on the Electoral Commission's report launched today, Marc Bush, Head of Policy at Scope, said:

“We support the Electoral Commission's recognition of the need for far-reaching changes to improve Britain's outdated electoral system, as it has been failing disabled voters for some time.

"However, we are disappointed this report does not go far enough in its recommendations to improve access for disabled voters - many of whom faced significant barriers at the last General Election such as poor or no access for wheelchair users.

"Research by Scope showed that more than two thirds of polling stations surveyed failed a basic accessibility test.

"There is a pressing need to expand voting options to increase access to voting by offering alternative methods such as online voting. Unless this happens disabled people will continue to struggle to exercise their right to vote in future elections."