Election Access Observations Dashboard
IFES’ Election Access Observations identify and describe barriers that affect the electoral participation of persons with disabilities. During each observation, members of organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) trained by IFES visit pre-selected polling places with a questionnaire to evaluate the site, interior, staff, and resources provided. Observation questionnaires are tailored to each country, often integrating legal accessibility standards, though they share many common strands of inquiry: Are pathways, entrances, and spaces easily and safely navigable for all? Are accessible voter materials available? Are staff prepared to offer assistance while maintaining voter privacy?
The data generated by these observations has been used by the local OPD partners for advocacy, helping to shape recommendations to election management bodies, political parties, and other authorities while also highlighting the contributions of persons with disabilities to the electoral process. This dashboard brings together data from 11 election access observations to explore polling place accessibility across time and space.
Learn more about these Election Access Observations conducted between 2014 and 2022 in eight countries by exploring the interactive dashboard below. Use the arrows at the bottom of the dashboard to toggle through additional pages.
