Elections Canada plans app so blind, visually impaired voters can OK ballot – National | 24CA News
Elections Canada is searching for a agency with the technical know-how to design a telephone app that can enable blind and visually impaired voters to “independently verify the mark on their ballot.”
Elections Canada’s tender for this job says they’re searching for somebody who can design, construct, ship and keep a cellular utility that can enable visually impaired and blind electors the power to confirm the mark on their very own poll.
“At this time, the independent verification of a marked ballot remains a barrier for people who are blind and partially sighted.,” mentioned Nathalie de Montigny, a spokesperson for Elections Canada.
This is a part of Elections Canada’s “Accessibility Plan” that they launched earlier this yr.
The objective is to take away voting obstacles for all Canadians by 2040, and be capable of take a look at this expertise in 2024, de Montigny added.
There are some choices for blind and visually impaired voters already in place.
These embrace giant print and braille candidate lists that comply with the order on an official poll, tactile and braille voting templates, magnifiers to enlarge textual content on ballots, and modified voting screens that allow in additional mild.
If these choices don’t work, voters can even herald a help individual, equivalent to a member of the family, pal, or private help employee, who might help a blind or visually impaired individual vote.
“To protect the secrecy of the vote, the person is asked to make a solemn declaration before the elector marks their ballot. Additionally, an election worker can also assist in marking the ballot. A second election worker is always present to act as witness,” de Montigny mentioned.
The query stays whether or not the proposed app could possibly be prepared for every time the subsequent federal election occurs.
The NDP have agreed to help the Liberal authorities in confidence votes till the subsequent scheduled election in fall 2025.
However, with a minority authorities an election could possibly be known as earlier.
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