Is disability forever an inability? The right to secret and independent voting for the visually impaired in Kenya
Courtesy of Election Access On July 30, 2022, while addressing a special-interest group forum in Mandera County, Prof. Abdi Guliye, a commissioner for the IEBC, stated that the commission would not be providing braille ballot papers for visually impaired voters. The commission would, however, be providing voter education material in braille. This meant that once again, just like in previous elections, blind voters would have to rely on voter assistance to exercise their right to vote based on universal suffrage. The only slight difference with this voting method was that in the 2022 general elections, voters would be receiving assistance only from presiding officers who had received appropriate training on maintaining "secrecy." Party agents would be allowed to stand behind the presiding officer and listen in as they guide the voter. In previous electoral years, blind voters were allowed to choose assistants who had to take oaths of secrecy prior to the voting exercise. W...