Ballot Templates

Working in partnership with local disability organizations and national election commissions, IFES has developed Ballot Templates (also known as Tactile Ballots) for use by blind and visually impaired voters. These templates help ensure that voters are able to vote independently and in secret.

Pictured above, the ballot template works as follows:
• The blind voter casts their vote on the actual ballot;
• The ballot is inserted in a folder by an election official.
• The folder is the same size as the ballot;
• Holes are cut in the folder to correspond precisely to the boxes on the ballot where the voter places his/her thumb print;
• Raised dots are placed on the folder next to each hole, indicating the vertical position of the hole. For example, one dot is placed next to the top hole; two dots next to the second hole from the top; and so on.
• The top right hand corner of ALL ballots is cut away. By feeling this cut away piece, and by feeling the perforated edge on the left side of the ballot, the blind voter can independently determine that the ballot is correctly inserted in the folder. All ballots are cut in this manner so as to ensure the secrecy of the ballot cast by the blind voter. The ballots will be cut during production, and not at the polling site.
• Written instructions on the use of the ballot will be available at every polling station, to be read to the voter by the presiding officer.

The tactile ballot pictured below was used in Sierra Leone's 2002 Presidential Election.

The idea of tactile ballots has also been used in other elections worldwide. Below are pictures of three other types of ballot templates, from (left to right) Canada, Peru and the US State of Rhode Island.