Report on audit and assessment of polling stations …...To ensure long-term tackling of the problem concerning the accessibility of public polling stations, which are utilized by

Report on audit and assessment of polling stations accessibility

1

REPORT

ON AUDITING AND ASSESSING THE POLLING STATION ACCESSIBILITY FOR PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT

ABILITIES ON THE TERRITORY OF REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

Skopje, September 2017

Team Responsible for the Assessment (alphabetical order)

Afërdita Haxhijaha Imeri-International Foundation for Electoral Systems-IFES

Beti Gjorgjieska- State Election Commission

Ioana Cosma- International Foundation for Electoral Systems-IFES

Plamenka Krstevska Bojcheva- State Election Commission

Slavica Odzaklieska Blazevska-State Election Commission


2

Content

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 3

Goals of the assessment ......................................................................................................................... 4

General goal ........................................................................................................................................ 4

Objectives ........................................................................................................................................... 4

Partners and methodological approach ................................................................................................. 4

Results ..................................................................................................................................................... 7

Scope of assessment ........................................................................................................................... 7

Accessibility based on the location of polling stations ....................................................................... 9

(Section А of the questionnaire) ......................................................................................................... 9

Accessibility concerning the entrance in the building ...................................................................... 13

(Section B of the questionnaire) ....................................................................................................... 13

Accessibility concerning the voter’s getting to the polling room ..................................................... 16

(Section C of the questionnaire) ....................................................................................................... 16

Accessibility to the polling room ....................................................................................................... 19

(Section D of the questionnaire) ....................................................................................................... 19

Accessibility of restrooms in the buildings ....................................................................................... 23

(Section E of the questionnaire) ....................................................................................................... 23

Conclusions from the conducted assessment ...................................................................................... 26

General conclusions .......................................................................................................................... 26

Specific conclusions .......................................................................................................................... 26

Annex 1- Instructions ............................................................................................................................ 28

Annex 2- Questionnaire ........................................................................................................................ 31


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Introduction

The State Election Commission (SEC) of Republic of Macedonia, being the highest state authority

responsible for the elections administration in Republic of Macedonia, is obligated according to law to

enable the realization of the voting right for every eligible citizen of Republic of Macedonia. To that

end, SEC, which, according to Article 112а of the Election Code1

1 http://www.sec.mk/izboren-zakonik/

must ensure the accessibility of polling

stations for the people with different abilities2

2 In this report, the author uses the term “people with different abilities“ which was created in 1998 by Dr. Judith Leblanc, PhD

http://en.annsullivanperu.org/our-team/judith-leblanc/). The term “people with different abilities“ is not only a sign of respect, but highlights the strengths of all individuals and enables each individual to receive support based on the needs and not the set restrictions.

, shall determine the locations on the territory of Republic

of Macedonia, where the voting right is exercised. The locations must meet the basic conditions for

ensuring personal, free and secret right to vote, and therefore, the locations must be adjusted in order

to be accessible for people with different abilities.

The international standards on human rights as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights3,

3 http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/

UN Convention on the Rights of People with different abilities4,

4 http://www.mtsp.gov.mk/WBStorage/Files/Konvencija%20za%20pravata%20na%20licata%20so%20invalidnost.pdf

International Covenant on Economic,

Social and Cultural Rights5

5http://healthrights.mk/pdf/Pravnici/Megjunarodni%20dokumenti%20i%20mehanizmi%20za%20zastita%20na%20covekovite%20prava/%

D0%9EN/3%20-%20%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%93%D1%83%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%20%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%BA%D1%82%20%D0%B7%D0%B0%20%D0%B5%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%BC%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8,%20%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%86%D0%B8%D1%98%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%BD%D0%B8%20%D0%B8%20%D0%BA%D1%83%D0%BB%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B8%20%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B0.pdf

and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights6,

6http://www.healthrights.mk/pdf/Pravnici/Megjunarodni%20dokumenti%20i%20mehanizmi%20za%20zastita%20na%20covekovite%20pr

ava/%D0%9EN/2%20-%20%D0%9C%D0%B5%D1%93%D1%83%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%20%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%BA%D1%82%20%D0%B7%D0%B0%20%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%93%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%20%D0%B8%20%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%BA%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%20%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B0%20%D0%BD%D0%B0%20%D1%87%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%BA%D0%BE%D1%82%20%D0%B8%20%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%93%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%82.pdf

proclaim the rights

of all people free from discrimination. Following the guidelines from the international acts, SEC takes

activities to ensure equal conditions for exercising the voting right for all citizens of Republic of

Macedonia.

In this context, SEC in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy and citizen associations

that actively work for the rights of people with different abilities, and supported by the International

Foundation for Electoral Systems-IFES and the Organization for Security and Safety in Europe -OSCE,

conducted the audit and assessment of polling stations to establish the factual situation from the aspect

of accessibility for people with different abilities. The outcome will serve as basis for taking adequate

activities depending on the competencies of the project participants, aimed at tackling the existing

barriers for accessibility.


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Goals of the assessment

General goal

To ensure equal conditions for exercising the voting right for all citizens of Republic of Macedonia.

Objectives

To establish the factual situation at the polling stations in order to tackle the problem of polling station

accessibility for the people with different abilities and upgrade the electronic Voters List with data

about the locations of polling stations and inform the voters thereof.

To ensure long-term tackling of the problem concerning the accessibility of public polling stations,

which are utilized by the citizens of Republic of Macedonia.

Partners and methodological approach

Based on prior knowledge and experiences from similar initiatives, SEC in the capacity of project

implementer, initiated partnerships with institutions and representatives from the civil society and

international organizations for the purpose of conducting the assessment by making sure that the

principles of participation, transparency and mutual accountability are implemented throughout all

phases of the assessment.

The following partners took part in the assessment:

Ministry of Labor and Social Policy and Centers for Social Work;

Citizen associations:

• Inkluziva,

• Mobility Macedonia,

• Polio Plus,

• Association of blind people,

• Helsinki Committee,

• Hendicap plus,

• Humanitarian association – Svetot na dlanka,

• Shpresa,

International organizations

• International Foundation for Electoral Systems-IFES, supported by the United States Agency for

International Development USAID,

• Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe-OSCE


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The assessment was conducted in several successive steps during the period in July-September 2017,

i.e. in three phases.

Preparatory phase - SEC designed the project proposal, including the nominated responsible persons,

established partnerships among the involved institutions, civil society and international organizations,

and the established working group; preparation of tools to be used for the assessment, such as

Questionnaire and Instructions for implementation (see Annex 1), which were discussed and revised by

the working group at two successive meetings. The preparatory phase ended with one-day training on

field work for all participants.

Implementation phase - 12 multidisciplinary teams were established, and each team included one

representative from the professional service of SEC headquarters, SEC regional offices, citizen

associations and nominated Centres for social work. Each of the teams were equipped with already

reconciled tools/questionnaires, tape measure and vehicle. The application for collecting and analyzing

data was designed in parallel to the field work.


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Data processing and analysis phase – all information, which was systematically arranged in the

questionnaires and collected during the field work, was entered into the web application. Then, the

information was cleaned up from double entries. Afterwards, the data were processed and each

data/question from the questionnaire was analyzed not only per polling location/building and polling

station, but also, when applicable, according to the number of voters who cast their vote at the

respective location. During this phase, one has to note that the web application was merged to the

Voter List application, and each voter who would check the personal data in the Voters List could also

check information about the extent of accessibility of the polling station where s/he votes. This ensured

the realization of one of the objectives in this phase of the assessment.


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Results

Scope of assessment

Given that the allocation of voters in the Voters List has dynamic character and undergoes changes

from one to another election cycle depending on many factors, such as: number of persons of age and

persons who acquired the voting right; number of deceased persons or persons who changed the place

of residence; etc., the number of polling stations and polling locations/buildings also undergo changes

based on these parameters. The assessment was conducted based on the data for polling stations and

polling facilities/buildings for the parliamentary elections held in December 2016, and based on the

total number of voters in the Voters List, i.e. 1.816.127 (status from August 2017).

Considering that SEC and the involved partners may request improvement of the conditions at the

public locations/facilities where the polling stations are placed and also exert influence, this assessment

did not include the polling facilities/buildings in private ownership.

From total of 2061 polling facilities/buildings, 1488 were included in the assessment while 573 buildings

were not included, out of which 253 buildings are in private ownership, whereas the assessment was

not conducted in 320 public facilities/buildings. The assessment was not conducted due to various

reasons, the most relevant ones

being the inability to enter the

building (mostly schools where

during the summer holidays no

one could enable the entry into

the building) or the buildings are

located in mountainous regions

that cannot be accessed by car.

As shown through the number of polling stations, from total of 3480 polling stations, the assessment

of accessibility was conducted at 2733 polling stations or 79%.

Results from conducted analysis of polling stations

2.733 1.488

77 917

- 1.000 2.000 3.000

Избирачки места

Објекти Општини Населени места


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The assessment covered 87% of the voters,

while 13% or 230.660 voters were not included,

i.e. there is no information whether and to

which extent the polling stations are accessible.

Types of buildings/facilities

Type of building Total

School 1038

Neighborhood unit 103

Other 63

Homes 61

Municipal building 52

Kindergarten 39

Cultural home 30

Private building 28

Public enterprise 25

Medical institution 14

Fire station 9

Library 7

Hall 5

Basic court 4

Dormitory 4

Worker’s university 3

Included

13%

Faculty 3

Total 1488

As shown above, the assessment was conducted only in public polling facilities/buildings where the

biggest number or 70% are schools, 7% are neighborhood units, while the third ranked category –

various accounts for 4% and the category- homes accounts for 4%, including the homes of

neighborhood units or homes of villages or cultural homes.

From the table above, one can conclude that over 81% of the polling buildings/facilities are under the

competence of the local self-government units, i.e. the local authorities and therefore the Municipal

councils and mayors have exceptionally important role in enabling the accessibility of the polling

stations and ensuring that all voters in the country exercise their voting rights.

voters1.585.467

87%

Not- included230.660

VOTERS INCLUDED IN THE ANALYSIS


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Accessibility based on the location of polling stations

(Section А of the questionnaire)

Photo from a library in Negotino used as polling station

Photo from a building where the polling station in Makedonski Brod is located


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On the question - Are there flat roads next to the polling station, most of the answers were affirmative.

The difference, as one can expect, depends whether the question is considered from the perspective

of polling stations (13% - no flat roads), polling facilities/buildings (18% - no flat roads) or voters (10% -

no flat roads).

Per polling stations

Yes2.358 87%

No358

13%

Per building

Yes121582%

No27418%

Yes1.422.078

90%

No154.700

10%

Per voters

Is the polling station located inside a village, town, or city?

The proportion among the allocated polling stations differs for 10%, whereby 857 polling buildings are

located in rural municipalities, that is, 58%, while 631 or 42% of the buildings are located in towns. The

difference is increased concerning the voters, whereby in the rural areas only 37% vote, while 63% of

the voters vote in urban areas given the polling facilities/buildings included in the assessment.

Is there a parking lot next to the polling station?

Town997.047

63%

Village

579.731 37%

Per voters

Town63142%Village

85758%

Per building

Town1.496 55%

Village1.220 45%



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Per number of buildings

Yes85658%

No63242%

Data show that 67% of the polling stations have parking lots or based on the number of included voters,

1.140.898 voters have parking lots at disposal on the Elections Day, which largely alleviates the access

to the polling stations, also for the people with different abilities. Considering that big number of polling

stations are located in schools, the respective data come as no surprise.

However, on the question – whether the existing parking lots have designated places/signs for people

with different abilities, the results are as follows: From 1,807 polling stations that dispose of a parking

lot, 887 (49%) have designated place for people with different abilities. Those 887 polling stations cover

the number of 569,364 voters, i.e. 49,91% of the voters that will have parking place at the polling

stations at disposal.

On the question - Is there a sidewalk leading to the polling station entrance, the data are as follows:

62% of polling stations included in the assessment have sidewalks leading to the entrance of the polling

station, i.e. 1.102.289 voters (70%) can use the sidewalk which contributes to safe access to the polling

station on the Elections Day.


Yes1.807 67%

No909

33%

Per included voters

Yes1.140.898

72%

No 435.880

28%


Yes169462%

No90934%

1134%

No answer

Per number of voters

Yes1.102.289

70%

No410.656

26%

63.833 4%

No answer


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Is there a lowered curbstone or surface on the sidewalk that will enable the persons with different

abilities to move from the street to the sidewalk?

From 1694 polling stations where the sidewalk leads to the entrance of the polling station, there is a

lowered curbstone in 1436 polling stations (85%). The total number of voters at places with lowered

curbstone is 935,361, i.e. 85% of the voters at polling stations with sidewalks.

On the question: If there is a sidewalk leading to the polling station entrance, is the sidewalk wide

enough that a person using a wheelchair could easily get to the polling station, in 1618 (95.5% of polling

stations with sidewalks) polling stations the answer was Yes. The total number of voters is 1,049,547,

that is, 95% of the voters at polling station with sidewalks.

Conclusions concerning the location of the polling station: In 82% of the polling facilities/buildings

included in the assessment, there are flat roads, however; once the voters get to the polling station, only

67% (1807) of the polling stations have available parking space, which is a challenge for the remaining

33% of the polling stations without parking space, that is, no parking space is available for 435.880

voters.

This is a special challenge for the persons with different abilities as the availability of parking space

especially matters to them. However, at the 1807 polling stations with available parking space, only 49%

have designated space for persons with different abilities. One can note somewhat better situation

regarding the sidewalks leading to the polling station, whereby total of 1694 polling stations have

sidewalks, 86% of which have a lowered curbstone and in 95.5% the sidewalk is sufficiently wide for a

person in a wheelchair to enter the polling station.


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Accessibility concerning the entrance in the building

(Section B of the questionnaire)

Primary school “Aleksandar Makedonski“ in Novo Lisice

Polling station in the municipality of Gazi Baba


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On the question - is there a sign with a universal symbol of accessibility showing where people with

different abilities can enter the building, regretfully, such sign exists only in 4% of the polling stations.

In addition, whether there are stairs to enter the building and a ramp, the data are as follows:


Yes1.38651%

o91 %

139 5%

N1.144

No answer


Yes881.586

56%

No 612.441

39%

No answer 82.751

5%

In 44% of the polling stations there is no ramp or 39% of the respective voters have no possibility to

use a ramp to access the polling station.

On the question: Is the ramp strong enough to hold a person using a wheelchair, affirmative answer

was given for 1124(81%) polling stations that include 740,164 voters, i.e. 84% of the number of voters

where there is ramp at the polling station.

Whereas on the question: Is the ramp wide enough so that a person using a wheelchair could move up

the ramp? (optimal 120cm, or at least 90 cm), affirmative answers were given for 1065 polling stations,

that is, at 77% of the polling stations with ramp and 703,233 voters (80% of the total number of voters).

With regard to the steepness of the ramp, i.e. the question: Is the ramp low to the ground, and not very

steep, affirmative answer was provided for 823 polling stations, i.e. 542,004 voters who exercise their

voting right in those polling stations.

Given the answers on the set of questions concerning the entrance to the building, the data are as

follows:

On the question -Is the door of the entrance kept open, affirmative answer was provided for 98% of

the polling stations.


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However, concerning the question whether the ground of the doorway is flat, the doorway is flat in

most of the polling stations (77%). As the voters are concerned, data show that 81 % of the voters vote

at polling stations with flat doorway.


Yes2.096 77%

No620

23%


Yes

1.283.612 81%

No293.166

19%

Also, the following question: when the door is open, is it wide enough? - 96% of the polling stations for

a person using a wheelchair to get through smoothly and enter the room.

Per number of votersPer number of voters

Conclusions concerning the entrance in the building: Regretfully, only in 4% of the buildings i.e. polling

stations, there is a universal sign for accessibility, which further confirms the fact that there is a ramp

only in 51 % of the polling stations. At the polling stations with ramp, the ramp is strong enough in 81%

of the polling stations and the ramp is wide enough for a person in wheelchair to move up in 77% of the

polling stations. The fact that the door is kept open in 98% of the polling stations is positive, as well as

that the doorway is flat in 77% of the polling stations and the door is wide enough for a person in

wheelchair to get through in 96% of assessed polling stations.

Yes2.598 96%

4%

No118

Yes1.528.218

97%

No48.560

3%


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Accessibility concerning the voter’s getting to the polling room

(Section C of the questionnaire)


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Photo from a primary school in Veles where 4 polling stations are located

For persons with mobility challenges, especially important is whether there are stairs for the voters to

get to the polling room, and if yes, how many stairs. The data concerning this question are as follows:


585 22% 13-18

109 4%

6-12314

12%Over 174

6%

stairs1.534 56%


319.9355

20%

13-1865.835

4%

6-12181.878

12%Over

112.158 7%

No stairs896.972

57%

There are no stairs to get to the polling room in 56% of the polling stations, while in polling stations

with stairs, there are 1 to 5 stairs (22%). On the question whether the polling stations with stairs also

have a ramp leading to the polling room, affirmative answer was provided for 95 polling stations with

stairs, that is, in 37% of the polling stations with stairs, there is also a ramp, which covers a total number

of 60,106 voters (35%).

On the question: If there is a hallway, is it cleared of obstacles both on the ground and above on the

ceiling so that people with different abilities can get to the polling room ? At 91% of the polling stations,

the answer was affirmative and only in 7% of the polling stations or 63,529 voters face obstacles in the

hallways leading to the polling room.

With regard to the location of the polling room, i.e. whether the polling room is on the ground floor,

i.e., the data are as follows:


Yes2.385 88%

331 12%

No Per number of voters

Yes

1.376.251

87%

1200.527

3%

No

1-5

No

1-


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In 88% of the assessed polling stations, the polling room is located on the ground floor. The remaining

331 polling rooms (12%) are not located on the ground floor. There is a lift to get to the polling room

only at 5 of the polling stations. At 1.51% of the polling rooms, which are not on the ground floor, there

is a lift. Those 5 polling stations include 1804 voters. The lift is in order at these 5 polling stations.

For the remaining total number of 271 polling stations there is no lift, while no answers were provided

if there is a lift for 55 polling stations. In other words, total of 198,723 voters are exercising their voting

right at polling stations which are not on the ground floor or no answers were provided if there is a lift

at the polling station.

Conclusions concerning how voters get to the polling room: In 56% of the polling stations there are no

stairs to get to the polling room, while only in 22% of the polling stations with stairs there are only 1 to

5 stairs. Hallways are to a great extent cleared from obstacles which enables free movement. In 88% of

the polling stations, the polling rooms are on the ground floor, as opposed to 12% of the polling stations.

Unfortunately, there is a lift only in 1.51% of the polling stations which are not on the ground floor. In

the remaining polling stations with 198,723 voters who exercise their voting right there, there is no lift.


19

Accessibility to the polling room

(Section D of the questionnaire)

Photo from the primary school “Kiril and Metodij“ in Tetovo

Photo from a polling station in Vinica


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The polling room, like all the other elements, is deemed significant factor for exercising the voting right.

On the Elections Day, the fact whether the polling room enables all the citizens to cast their vote is of

major importance, by ensuring their smooth access to all steps of the voting process.

With regard to the entrance to the polling room and whether the door is kept open, the data from the

assessment show that the door is kept open at 99% or 2694 polling stations. However, this percentage

declines to 90% where the door is 90 cm wide, as much as necessary for a person in wheelchair to get

through.


Yes2.453 90%


Yes

1.430.245

91%

No146.533

9%

From the aspect of the number of voters, 9% or 146.533 voters cast their vote at polling stations where

the entrance door is not wide enough for a person in wheelchair to get through smoothly.

Additional obstacle is that the doorway is not flat in 19% of the polling rooms at the polling stations, i.e.

in 526 polling stations.

Concerning the question whether inside the room, there is enough light for voters to be able to see

ballots and papers clearly, data show that auditors found that in 98% of the polling stations, the polling

rooms are well-lit, while only in 2% i.e. 47 polling stations there is not enough light.

No263

10%


Yes2.669

98%

47 2%

No Per number of voters

Yes559.030 99%

17.748 1%

1.

No


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In order to ensure that the voting process is conducted in a smooth and secret manner, there is need

for sufficiently wide and clear space for all voters, including the persons with different abilities to be

able to easily move around.


Yes2.655 98%

61 2%


Yes.559.199

99%

17.57

For 99% of the voters covered by this assessment, there is sufficiently wide and clear space to easily

move around during the voting process, including for the needs of people with different abilities.

Also, the ground floor is flat without holes in 96% of the polling stations, while in 99% of the polling

stations, the tables and chairs can be easily moved out of the way, if needed.

One can note high percentage of positive answers also regarding the question whether there is space

to place signs or posters that explain the voting process. Negative answers were noted only for 11

polling stations, while the answers were affirmative for 2705 polling stations.

On the question if there is room to have at least one table and one ballot box that is easy to reach for

people using a wheelchair, the obtained data show the following:

No


Yes2.690 99%

1%

No26

No9

1%

1


Yes68.528 9%

18.250

%

1.59

No


22

In 99% of the polling rooms at the polling stations, there is space to place a table and ballot box that is

easy to reach for people using a wheelchair.

Conclusions concerning the accessibility to the polling room: Data show that polling rooms are largely

accessible, 99% have doors which are kept open throughout the voting process, 90% have sufficiently

wide door for a person in a wheelchair to get through. Also, 98% of the polling stations are well-lit and

have enough space to place tables and chairs, whereby in 99% there is space for a table and ballot box

that is easy to reach by a person in a wheelchair.


23

Accessibility of restrooms in the buildings

(Section E of the questionnaire)

Photo from a toilet at the polling station located in the city library in Kumanovo


24

Set of questions was used to measure this parameter of accessibility. The obtained data are as follows:

On the question, is there a restroom near the polling room, the answer was negative only for 10% of

the polling stations.

The width of the restroom door is not less important factor for accessibility, thus, on the question – is

the door to the restroom at least 70 cm wide or more, out of 2445 polling stations with restrooms,

positive answer was provided for 1432 (58.6%) polling stations. Negative answer or no answer was

provided for 948 and 63 polling stations, respectively. The total number of voters who vote at polling

stations with sufficiently wide door to the restroom amounts to 873,755 voters, whereas 587,323

persons cast their vote at polling stations where the door to the restroom is not enough wide.

With regard to the question whether the doorway to the restroom is flat, the data are as follows:

In 41% of the polling stations, the doorway to the restroom is not flat, while no answers were provided

for additional 3% or 82 polling stations.


Yes 2.445 90%

10%

No271


Yes1.490.627

95%

5%

No86.151


Yes1.3556%

No1.006 41%

3%

7

no answer

82


Yes824.7

55

624o,.469 , %

no answer41.361

3%

97 %

N

42


25

With regard to the question if there is a toilet that has handrails for people with different abilities to

use if they need to, the data show the following:

147 6%

Не, 2.139 ,

87%

159 7%

Per polling stations Yesno answer


93.438 6%

No

1.319.838

77.351 5%

Yes

89%

No answer

For 87% of the polling stations, the provided answer was negative, which indicates the fact that people

with different abilities will require additional support if they use the restrooms, i.e. at 2139 polling

stations there are no handrails in the toilets.

Conclusions concerning the accessibility to restroom in the polling stations: Data show that 90% of the

polling stations dispose of restrooms, but only 58.6% of the restrooms have entry door which is wider

that 70 cm which is required for a person in a wheelchair to get through smoothly. Also, the doorway is

flat in 56% of the polling stations, while in 87% of the accessible restrooms there are no handrails.


26

Conclusions from the conducted assessment

General conclusions

The conducted assessment was the first attempt made by the State Election Commission, which needs

to be further expanded to cover all other buildings used for voting purposes, i.e. polling stations that

were not included in this assessment.

The teams implementing the field assessment were given instructions about taking photos of the

buildings where the voting is conducted as well as the respective positions for the purposes of the

assessment. Given the short time period, only a few of the photos were attached to the web application

that was designed for this purpose. Photos need to be attached, so that voters can check the

accessibility of the polling stations in the Voters List application, that is, see the photos of a respective

polling station based on existing technical possibilities.

The application for assessment of polling stations accessibility must be updated on regular basis by

entering the new buildings, if any, or entering the change of certain parameters at the existing polling

stations, if such changes took place.

Specific conclusions

Conclusions concerning the location of the polling station: there are flat roads that lead to 82% of the

buildings that were part of the assessment, however; once the voters reach the polling station, only

67% (1807) of the polling stations have available parking lots, which is a challenge for the remaining

33% of the polling stations without parking lots. This is a special challenge for the people with different

abilities, as the accessibility to a parking lot is especially important for them. However, from those 1807

polling stations with available parking lots, only 49% of them have designated signs for people with

different abilities. One can notice that the situation is much better concerning the sidewalks to the

entrance of the polling station, whereby total of 1694 polling stations have sidewalks and 86% of which

have a lowered curbstone; while in 95.5% of the polling stations the sidewalk is sufficiently wide for a

person in a wheelchair to enter the polling station.

Conclusions concerning the entrance to the building: Regretfully, only in 4% of the buildings i.e. polling

stations there is a universal sign of accessibility, which further verifies the fact that ramp exists only in

51 % of the polling stations. At polling stations with ramp, the ramp is sufficiently strong in 81% and

sufficiently wide for a person in a wheelchair to move up in 77% of the polling stations. It’s a positive

fact that the door is kept open in 98% of the polling stations; the doorway is flat in 77% of the polling


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stations, while the entrance door is sufficiently wide for a person in a wheelchair to get through in 96%

of the assessed polling stations.

Conclusions concerning the voter’s getting to the polling room: In 56% of the polling stations there are

no stairs to get to the polling room, while in other polling stations with stairs, which account for 22%,

there are up to 5 stairs. Hallways are largely cleared from obstacles and enable free movement. In 88%

of the polling stations, the polling rooms are located on the ground floor, which is not the case of 12%

of the polling rooms. Concerning the polling rooms which are not located on the ground floor, only for

1.51% there is available lift. In the remaining polling stations with 198,723, there is no available lift.

Conclusions concerning the accessibility to the polling room: Data show that polling rooms are largely

accessible; 99% have doors which are kept open during the voting process, 90% of them have

sufficiently wide door for a person in a wheelchair to get through. Also, 98% of the polling stations are

well-lit and have sufficient space for a table and chairs to be moved around, whereas in 99% of the

polling stations there is space for placing a table and ballot box to be easily accessed by a person in a

wheelchair.

Conclusions concerning the accessibility to the restrooms at the polling stations: Data show that

restrooms are found in 90% of the polling stations, but only 58.6% of the restrooms have entry door

which is wider than 70 cm which is necessary for a person in a wheelchair to get through. Also, only in

56% of the polling stations the doorway is flat, while in 87% of the available restrooms there are no

handrails.


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Annex 1- Instructions

Instructions

on field visits and filling the template of the checklist for accessibility of polling stations

Background

Accessible polling stations are an important part of ensuring that persons with different abilities are

able to participate in elections on an equal basis as others. However, many polling stations are located

in areas that are difficult for persons with different abilities to reach, or have an inaccessible structure

that makes it challenging for persons with different abilities to enter the polling room and vote.

The State Election Commission (SEC), pursuant to Article 112а of the Election Code is obligated to

ensure the access to the polling stations for persons with different abilities. Therefore, this project was

initiated in cooperation with the institutions dealing with persons with disabilities, for the purpose of

getting insight into the real situation at the polling stations, that is, the extent to which polling stations

are accessible for the persons with different abilities, and accordingly, take the respective action

depending on the competencies of the project participants to tackle the existing accessibility barriers.

Involved stakeholders

The State Election Commission shall have the main implementing role, while the following actors shall

also take part in the implementation of the activity

• Ministry of Labour and Social Policy through the representatives of the Centres for Social Work;

• Civil organizations dealing with persons with disabilities.

Approach for the activity implementation

The responsible person at SEC shall appoint 12 assessment teams. Each team will comprise of four

members. The teams will visit 3480 polling stations, which are located at the polling facilities/buildings,

for a period of ten days.

Steps for conducting the accessibility assessment- Before reaching the polling facility/building and after

the polling facilities/buildings were visited

1. The team will comprise of the following members: representative from SEC in Skopje, representative

from the SEC regional office, representative from the Centre for Social Work and representative from

a citizen association. The list with the contact details for all members of the teams will be prepared by

SEC and distributed to each member.

2. All team members will be trained about field work. The training will be organized in the premises of

SEC in Skopje.

3. The team members will get to know each other and make the initial contacts during the training.

4. The team work will start when a representative from SEC Skopje will contact the teams members to

inform about the place and time of the start of field work. It is recommended that the meeting point

should be the SEC regional office.


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5. The representative from the SEC regional office makes the plan about the order in which polling

stations will be visited on the particular day and accordingly informs the teams’ members. She/He

makes sure that the building is open based on previous communication with the responsible individuals

from those facilities (schools, out-patient clinics, private buildings, etc.).

6. Members of the team decide among themselves who will complete the template, who will take

photos of the polling stations and who will measure the distance. The roles of the members of the team

will be rotated.

7. SEC official vehicle will be used for the travel from the regional office to the polling stations.

8. Once the field work is completed, the team members return to SEC regional office and agree about

the plan for the following day.

9. The representative from SEC collects the completed templates for the day and hands them over to

the responsible person at SEC to enter the data in the database (templates are handed over on daily

basis to make sure that the data entry process is accelerated).

10. The person responsible for taking photos shall send the photos via e-mail to the responsible person

for data entry at SEC. Photos are arranged for each voting facility separately.

Steps to implement the accessibility assessment – inside the polling stations

1. Once you arrive in front of the building (or while travelling), fill out the general part of the template

(name of town, address of the building, name of the building, number of polling stations/s, date).

2. Start the assessment from the external part of the building. Examine the roads, which is the distance

of the polling stations from the other, and whether there are sidewalks. Fill out Section А, questions 1-

6 on the template. Take photo of the external part of the building (1-2 photos)

3. Access the building and check the building entrance. Fill out Section B on the template and answer

the questions 7-14. Take photo of the entrance to the building.

4. Enter the building and walk towards the voting room. Examine the hallways, if any, that voters need

to pass. Complete Section C on the template and answer questions 15-20. Take photos of the hallways

in the building.

5. Enter the polling room (rooms, if there are more rooms) and look around the space. Complete the

Section D of the template and answer the questions 21-29. Take photos of the polling rooms.

6. Finally, check if there is a restroom nearby that will be available to the voters.If any, please check if

the restroom is accessible. Complete the Section E and answer the questions 30-33. Take photos of the

polling rooms.

7. The completed template is handed over to the member of SEC, the team enters the vehicle and set

off to the next location according to the plan.

Roles and responsibilities

Each team consists of four members. The roles and responsibilities of the team members are as follows:

Head of the team is member of SEC from Skopje. She/He is responsible for:

Making contacts with all team members and for the respective coordination.


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Receives the blank questionnaires from SEC and hands over the completed templates back to SEC

i.e. to the person in charge of data entry.

Makes sure that the team has the measuring meter tape.

Makes sure that the roles for measuring, taking photos and filling information are assigned to the

team members.

Verifies if all information in the template is entered and accurate.

Representative of SEC regional office. She/He is responsible for:

Drafting the annual plan for visiting the polling stations.

Sharing the plan with all team members.

Contacts with the responsible persons for the polling stations and ensuring unhindered access.

Member of the team responsible for taking photos

Set the option to activate the location on the phone (Camera setting /location tags/on)

At each polling station, photos are FIRST taken for the first part of the template with completed

information.

The following photos are taken (1-2 photos for each position): а) Location of the building, b)

Entrance in the building, c) Getting to the polling room, d) Polling room, e) Restrooms.

Photos are sent via e-mail to the person responsible for data entry arranged for each voting facility.

The photo from the upper part of the template, along with the photos from the above stated

positions (a-d) are sent as attachment in one message.

Member of the team responsible for the measuring

Receives the meter tape from the head of the team at the beginning of the day.

Measures the dimensions according to the template.

Ensures that the measured dimensions are written in the template.

Returns the meter tape to the head of the team at the end of the day.

Member of the team responsible for completing the template

Receives the blank questionnaires from the head of the team depending on the plan for visits and

the number of polling stations planned for the respective day.

Ensures that all questions are answered and completed.

Ensures that all team members agree with the written answer, and if any of the team members has

comments, those will be written in the comments section.

Ensures that the exact/measured values are entered in the template.

The completed template is handed over to the head of the team.


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Annex 2- Questionnaire П

Questionnaire for assessing the polling station accessibility

the building where the

Name and Surname of Auditors 1. ____________________________ 2. _____________________________ 3. _____________________________ 4. ______________________________

Name of City or Village

Address of is located Polling Station

Name of the building

Number of polling station

Date

No. Checklist Yes No Comments

A Polling station location

Yes No Comments

1 Are there flat roads next to the polling station ?

2

Is the polling station located inside a village, town, or city?

3 Is there a parking lot next to the polling station? Are there designated places at the parking lot for people with different abilities?

4

If there is a sidewalk leading to the polling station entrance?

5 Is there a ramp so that people with different abilities can move from the road to the sidewalk? Is there a lowered curbstone or surface towards the street so that the persons with different abilities can move from the street to the sidewalk?

In many places, if ramps do exist, it is not uncommon for them

to be too small or steep. This ramp in Guatemala (photo at

left) is a good example of a ramp that is not steep and that is

90 cm wide for easy access by people using wheelchairs.


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6 If there is a sidewalk leading to the polling station entrance, is the sidewalk wide enough that a person using a wheelchair could easily get to the polling station?

According to the Rulebook on technical features and dimensions of the path for movement of people with physical disability and people with impaired sight, sidewalks and walking paths should be accessible and mutually linked in the space and adjusted for orientation with a slant not bigger than 5 % (1:20). The biggest slant on sidewalks and walking paths proportional to the moving direction should be 2%

B Entrance in the building Yes No Comments

7

Is there a sign with a universal symbol of accessibility showing where people with different abilities can enter the building?

8

If there are stairs to enter the building, is there also a ramp?

How many stairs are there at the entrance of the building?

9

Is the ramp strong enough to hold a person using a wheelchair?

As the illustration to the left shows, an ideal

sidewalk should be about 1.20 meters wide,

and 180 cm optimal width. This leaves enough

room for a person using a wheelchair to easily

maneuver and turn around if needed.

Source: United Architects of the Philippines

There are a number of international accessibility icons.

To the left is one example. Icons can help people with

disabilities identify accessible routes to enter buildings.


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10

Is the ramp wide enough so that a person using a wheelchair could move up the ramp? (optimal 120cm, at least 90 cm)

11

Is the ramp low to the ground, and not very steep?

12

Is the door of the entrance kept open?

13

Is the ground of the doorway flat?

14

When the door is open, is it wide enough for a person using a wheelchair to get through? (at least 90 cm entrance door)

According to the Rulebook on the manner of ensuring smooth accessibility, movement, (horizontal and vertical)

, stay and work of people with different abilities next to and inside public and business facilities, residential buildings, as well as buildings with residential-business premises, there should be a ramp both inside and outside the buildings for managing the height differences, only up to 120 cm.

Ideally, the slant should be 5% ( to bridge 12 cm height

with 1m long ramp). For shorter ramps, 8,3% slant is

acceptable ( to bridge 20 cm with 1m long ramp)

Source: Mobility Macedonia

This is an example of a ramp that is accessible: it is low to

the ground, and is not very steep. In general, for every

30 cm that the ramp is on the ground, the ramp should

rise by 2.5 cm. This is a gentle slope that ensures that

people with disabilities will not tip over or fall.


This doorway in Egypt would be difficult for a

person with a disability to use. The ground is not

flat, so people using wheelchairs would not be

able to enter, and the gaps in the door mean it

would be easy for someone to trip and fall.

Source: International Foundation for Electoral

Systems


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В Getting to the polling room Yes No Comments

15

If there are stairs in the building that voters must use to get to the polling room , how many stairs are there?

16 If there are there stairs in the building that voters must use to get to the polling room, is there also a ramp?

17

If there is a hallway, is it cleared of obstacles both on the ground and above on the ceiling so that people with different abilities can get to the polling room?

18

Is the polling room on the ground floor?

19

If the polling room is not on the ground floor, is there an elevator or lift available?

20 Is the lift in order?

If the polling room is on the floor, the building should be equipped with lift. A lift is used as an element of accessibility for the need to manage height differences bigger than 120 cm in the internal or external space. The lift

There were no ramps available in this polling station in

Kosovo, so this person was unable to access the station

without assistance. A ramp ensures that all voters are able to

access the polling room independently and on an equal basis

as others.

Source: HandiKos and Democracy in Action (Kosovo)

Besides ensuring that the hallway is at least 90 cm wide, there

should also be an overhead clearance of 2 meters so that persons

who are blind or have low vision do not accidentally walk into

objects like signs or low-hanging lights.



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: - ; -

should haveinternal dimensions of 110 х 140 cmdoor with light hole of at least 90 cm, command buttons with contrast colors and recognizable numbers of floors

by the relief design and other information in the Braille alphabet;

Г Polling room Yes

No Comments

21 To enter the room, is there a door that is kept open?

22

Is the door wide enough for a person using a wheelchair to enter? (the door should be 90 cm wide)

23

Is the ground of the doorway flat?

24

Inside the room, is there enough light to be able to see ballots and papers clearly?

25

Is there a wide, clear path for voters with disabilities to move around easily?

Polling rooms that are well-lit (such as this room

from Guatemala, at left) are important for people

with low vision to be able to read ballots and for

people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing to see

peoples’ faces so that they are better able to

understand speech.

Source: International Foundation for Electoral

Systems


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26

Is the ground flat, with no holes?

27

Can chairs and tables be moved out of the way, if needed?

28

Is there space on the walls to put signs or posters that explain the voting process?

29

Is there room to have at least one table and one ballot box that is easy to reach for people using a wheelchair?

E Restrooms Yes No Comments

30

Is there a restroom near the polling room?

31

Is the door to the restroom wide enough for a person using a wheelchair to get through? (optimally, 90 cm wide, or at least 70 cm)

In this spacious polling station with wide, clear and

flat floors, there is plenty of room for voters to freely

move around as needed.

Source: Voter Education Network for the People

(JPPR), Indonesia

Извор: Мрежа за едукација на избирачите (JPPR),

Индонезија

The voting booth should provide space for writing at height of

80-85 cm,

The hollow space in the front should be 70 cm wide and 60 cm

high, in order to fit a wheelchair inside

Source: Mobility Macedonia

This ballot box in Nepal is placed at the correct height (75 cm)

and has been placed on the ground to ensure easy access by all

voters.

Source: International Foundation for Electoral Systems


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32

Is the ground in the doorway flat?

33

Is there a toilet that has handrails for people with different abilities to use if they need to?

A restroom should be equipped as follows: - ; - ; -

; -

door with at least 90 cm width of the light hole, which opens on the outsideToilet bowl with a toilet seat at 45-50 cm heighttwo handrails to be placed next to the toilet bowl with length of 90 cm., set on the wall at 80-90cm height from

the groundat least one handrail, which should be overlapped handrail from the side where the toiled is accessed, while the

other handrail may be fixed on the wall or the ground;

Documents

Report on audit and assessment of polling stations …...To ensure long-term tackling of the problem concerning the accessibility of public polling stations, which are utilized by