Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 March 2004
425 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps which were taken in the procurement process for the electronic voting systems to comply with the applicable guidelines regarding accessibility for the visually impaired; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7912/04]
View answerThe electronic voting machine supplied following the competitive tendering process contains a designated port to receive a unit to enable the visually impaired to vote independently. None of the companies that submitted tenders was in a position to supply such a unit in the short term.
At my Department's request, the chosen suppliers have undertaken initial work on developing a facility for future use whereby visually impaired voters, who would otherwise require assistance to vote, will be able to use the new voting system independently. My Department will consult with the National Disability Authority and the National Council for the Blind, which have already provided constructive input into improvements made to the voting machine, about the development of this voting machine feature.
Since its first use in 2002, a number of improvements have already been made to the voting machine to improve its user friendliness for the visually impaired and other users. The new features include an increase in the size and legibility of candidate details, the use of larger preference numbers and brighter displays for better visibility and the use of a redesigned "cast vote" button. As with previous elections, a large copy of the ballot paper will be displayed in the polling station and a voter with a visual impairment may also avail of assisted voting facilities.
426 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he expects the introduction of electronic voting to have an impact on delays and queues during peak voting times. [7913/04]
View answerThe provision of good arrangements for the service of voters in polling stations is the responsibility of the relevant returning officer, having regard to the number of electors assigned to each polling station and other local factors. Electronic voting machines will represent an important, but not the only, element of this service in June 2004. It has already been arranged that over 7,000 voting machines will be available for use at the coming European and local elections compared to an estimated 6,200 ballot boxes under the paper based system. Problems with queuing did not occur at the two pilots for electronic voting in 2002 and difficulties are not anticipated in June 2004.
