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Guatemalan National Disability Council Proposes Electoral Law Reform to Increase Access

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On October 31, the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (CONADI) presented proposed reforms to the Elections and Political Parties Law (LEPP) to the Congressional Disabilities Affairs Committee and to the Board of Magistrates of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE). The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) provided technical assistance and key thematic inputs to CONADI throughout the process of drafting recommended updates to the LEPP. 

CONADI’s proposal focused on several critical areas for increasing disability inclusion in electoral processes, such as accessible infrastructure, voting assistance, inclusive voter registration and voter rolls, and the provision of Braille ballot guides. CONADI also recommended that changes be made to empower persons with disabilities as members of political parties and candidates for office. 

TSE Disability Affairs Committee Chairman Juan Carlos Salanic committed to delivering the proposal to Congressional Electoral Affairs Committee Chairman Oscar Argueta. The proposal was also presented to TSE Magistrate Chairwoman Maria Eugenia Mijangos, who also pledged to study the document. Mijangos will consider integrating the proposal’s recommendations into the final bill, which will be submitted to Congress by the end of November.