Pirkko Mahlamäki, Finnish Disability Forum



Pirkko Mahlamäki, Finnish Disability Forum

I vote every time and every election : 10 – 12 elections until now, local, national and european, student bodies, church..

One of the main problems I have is with the secrecy of vote. In one of my first-time voting, the booth screen was too high –I could ride my chair to the booth, but. Everyone could see whom I voted for. I made a suggestion for an more accessible booth, and the next time they had a better booth

But problems persist until today! In the last European elections, I voted in my post office, where there were no accessible booths. The process was a shamble, I had to face the corner and make my vote there. That was not acceptable.

It is not difficult to make arrangements for me to have an election experience equal to others: my student union did it. They quickly arranged for an accessible booth for me, they just put some books to elevate the ballot box. In all the other years, they did prepare in advance this booth and I could vote in privacy like everyone else. “