Despite volunteers and ramps at booths, many visually impaired voters say Braille dummy ballots were missing, forcing them to memorise serial numbers to vote
Sachin Tawde with his wife, Pooja. Pic/Ritika Gondhalekar
While accessibility and assistance were largely seamless for Mumbai’s visually impaired voters, many hit a roadblock at a crucial stage — when it came to actually identifying candidates on the EVM. Once in front of the machine, several blind voters could only feel the serial numbers embossed in Braille. However, many reported that the mandatory Braille ‘dummy ballot’ — which lists candidates’ names, party symbols, constituency name and number, and other ward details — was missing at their booths.
“We need these Braille ballots to know who we are really voting for. The EVMs at several wards only had the serial number, but there was no way for a blind voter to know what that number stands for,” said Dr Vimal Kumar Dengla, secretary general, National Association for the Blind (NAB), India. Dengla confirmed that NAB had transcribed nearly 2000 copies of dummy ballots in Braille for 21 electoral wards, but there was no clarity on how many booths for blind voters each ward had. He added that the remaining wards had not made any request to NAB.
(From left) Devendra Ponnalagar, Sion Koliwada, Dr Vimal Kumar Dengla, secretary general, NAB, Mahadev Shinde, a resident of Vikhroli and Pankaj Choudhary, a visually impaired voter
Pankaj Choudhary, 44, travelled from Kalyan to cast his vote in Jogeshwari, where he had lived for several years. He told mid-day that no Braille dummy ballot was available at his booth. “I requested a volunteer to read out the names and symbols of candidates in proper sequence. I memorised the serial number of the candidate I wished to vote for, asked the volunteer to leave, and then cast my vote,” he said. Miles away in Dahisar, Ketan Kothari, managing consultant, Xavier’s Resource Centre for the Visually Challenged (XRCVC), faced the same issue. “I keep myself updated with political nuances, so I already knew the serial numbers of all candidates. However, the Braille ballot paper was missing at my ward too, and this can certainly create problems for other blind voters,” he said.
Not all experiences were negative. Devendra Ponnalagar, 39, founder of Nayan Foundation and a resident of Sion Koliwada, voted at ward 175 and said Braille dummy ballots were available at his booth. “I did not face any particular problem while casting my vote. The booth was very close to my residence, and the ballots were handed over once I asked for them. However, I am a little sceptical about the process since I received no Voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) after the vote,” he told mid-day.
Similarly, Mahadev Shinde, a resident of Vikhroli, described his polling experience as positive and reassuring. Visually impaired, Shinde was permitted to be accompanied by his 12-year-old daughter, who guided him through every step — from entering the polling station to locating the voting compartment and understanding the procedure. He said booth officials were cooperative and sensitive, making the process smooth and stress-free. However, he added that Braille should be made available on all EVMs so that blind voters are not dependent on others. Another blind voter, Sachin Tawde, said, “We have the right to vote and must exercise our duty. Facilities have improved quite a bit. There were volunteers to guide us and help us walk through the polling booth. But when ballot papers were used, names and numbers were available in Braille. If the same is made available on every EVM, more people from our community will be encouraged to vote.”
An official from the State Election Commission told mid-day on Thursday afternoon, “Every Electronic Voting Machine has the option to vote in Braille. This is a mandatory provision made by the Election Commission.” The official added, “If the candidate’s name is too long to be mentioned in Braille on the machine, there is another mandatory provision where a board is displayed within the polling station premises. This board mentions serial numbers in Braille against candidates’ names, also in Braille. The EVM carries these serial numbers in Braille.”“If any person removes the Braille board kept within the polling station premises, it is considered an offence,” the official said.
Inputs by Eeshanpriya MS
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