Memorandum by Scope Cwmpas Cymru (POS
26)
We would like to take this opportunity to add
our support to Scope's submission to the Planning, Local Government
and the Regions Committee inquiry into postal voting.
Scope Cwmpas Cymru is a national region within
Scope structures. In conjunction with the Disability Rights Commission
Wales and the Scope Campaigns Team we run the Polls Apart Cymru
campaign.
Scope Cwmpas Cymru is extremely concerned about
all-postal elections. We believe that it will significantly reduce
choice for a proportion of disabled people. All-postal elections
will remove an option of visiting a polling station located within
a community where support to complete a ballot can be offered.
People with communication or learning impairments
will be particularly disenfranchised. Recent Polls Apart Cymru
research identified that the basic needs of this group of voters
are already not being met within the election process. For example
many of the Welsh local authorities did not provide voting information
in alternative formats.
Finally we would like to emphasise that we are
not against postal voting within a mix of other voting methods.
All-postal voting is however not the answer.
Mandi Glover
Chair Cwmpas Cymru
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