For more than 2 million Dutch people, voting is not self-evident. This is due to a physical or (mild) intellectual disability, for example. There are also people who have difficulty reading. To ensure that different groups of voters can vote more easily in the municipal elections of 2022, a renewed action plan has been drawn up by the ministries of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK) and Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS), the Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG), the Dutch Association for Civil Affairs (NVVB), and the Electoral Council.

Minister Ollongren of the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations: “With the renewed action plan, we are improving the accessibility of the elections and ensuring that people with disabilities or low literacy, just like anyone else, can exercise their democratic right. Together with all involved organizations, we ensure that every vote counts.”

In the lead-up to the 2021 House of Representatives elections, the implementation of the Action Plan for Accessible Voting has begun. Although attention to accessibility sometimes clashed with the focus on organizing the elections in a COVID-proof manner, the importance of accessibility has certainly not been overshadowed. During the House of Representatives elections, the physical accessibility of polling stations has increased and greater awareness has been created regarding accessible elections.

With 11 actions, a continuation of the action plan is being developed in collaboration with government organizations and various other partners in the lead-up to the municipal elections. Efforts are being made to further improve the accessibility of polling stations. For example, municipalities are encouraged to use the accessibility checklist and to organize a simulation of an election day with experts by experience. Attention to accessibility is also included in the polling station instructions for polling station members. Additionally, there will be a focus on more understandable information about voting. For example, sample letters about the elections will be made available to municipalities in accessible language.

The Action Plan is supported by interest organizations Knowledge about Vision, Alzheimer Netherlands, Association of Disability Care Netherlands (VGN), Ieder(in), National Federation of Interest Associations (LFB), Association for Institutions for People with Visual Impairments (VIVIS), Visio, the Eye Association, Accessibility, Foundation Reading and Writing, ProDemos, and STRAS.