In order to support the equal election environment for persons with disabilities a special working group is created at the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Georgia. The group unites the CEC members, representatives of the CEC structural units, international and local NGOs and representatives of various state agencies. The CEC Coordination, Planning and Reporting Department ensures the coordinated work of the group. The activities of the group is guided by the regulations approved by the CEC Chairperson for the group working on persons with disabilities.

The CEC Annual Action Plan envisages activities to be implemented for the persons with disabilities.

Memorandum of Understanding

By the initiative of the Election Administration in 2015, the CEC, Tbilisi City Hall, the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia and the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The signatory parties of the MoU agreed to support the inclusive election environment within their authority for the upcoming 2016 Parliamentary Elections. Particularly, the parties agreed to fulfill the requirement of the Election Code of Georgia which envisages that in case appropriate premises are available, such premises shall be allocated for the election precincts that shall be accessible to all voters, and provided that such premises are not available, premises allocated for the election precinct, where possible, shall be adapted to all voters for guarantying its accessibility by the polling day by the organ transferring the premises.

The following is available for the persons with disabilities during the E-day:

• Magnifying sheets at all election precincts for voters with vision impairments;
• Special ballot booths at the identified election precincts for the voters using wheelchairs;
• Poster about the voting procedures for the voter with hearing impairments.

If the voters using wheelchairs or having other physical impairment applies to the Election Administration in some election precincts portable ramps can be placed.

Informing Voters with Disabilities

• All video clips prepared by the CEC is accompanied with the sign language for the voters with hearing impairments;
• During the election period the map with indicated adapted election precincts is placed in the banner “Election Map” of the CEC official web-page (https://map.cec.gov.ge/)

According to the paragraph 1¹ of the Article 58 of the Election Code of Georgia in case appropriate premises are available, such premises shall be allocated for the election precinct that shall be accessible to all voters, and provided that such premises are not available, premises allocated for the election precinct, where possible, shall be adapted to all voters for guarantying its accessibility by the polling day by the organ transferring the premises.

According to the paragraph 2 of the Article 63 of the Election Code of Georgia at the polling stations the CEC shall provide for the use of such technologies, which shall allow the voters with visual impairment to fill out the ballot paper independently.

The CEC Decree №20/2012 dated on June 21, 2012 regulates the voting procedures for those voters who have no upper extremity and cannot vote independently. In the mentioned Decree amendments were made on July 14 of current year (Decree №45/2016).

According to the received resolutions and its amendments, citizens having the right to vote, without upper extremity:

• Do not go through the inking procedures;
• While giving the ballot paper to the voter, the voter registrar makes a note “ Physical Condition” in the unified voters’ list within the section “Voter Signature” and approves by own signature;
• A person selected by him/her (except: the member of election commission, candidate, representative of the election subject, observer and the representative of press and mass media means), which assists the very person in filling the voting bulletin (bulletins) in the voting booth, with attendance of the voter, places the bulletin (bulletins) in the special envelope and after that, drops in the bullet box (Decree №45/2016).
  
  

In addition to the national legislation the Election Administration supports the implementation of the United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities adopted on December 13, 2006 and promotes achievement of the convention objectives.