Making elections accessible and inclusive
The Returning Officer and our Elections team are committed to ensuring that elections are accessible, inclusive, and welcoming for everyone.
We recognise that people with disabilities - including those experiencing sight loss, deafness, mobility challenges, and other access needs - may face barriers when exercising their right to vote. It is our responsibility to listen, learn, and act to remove those barriers wherever possible.
Programme of engagement
We are beginning a programme of engagement to better understand your experiences and to work together on improvements. To do this effectively, we want to hear directly from you about:
- how you would like to engage with us - whether through in-person sessions, digital meetings, or visits to your groups so we can hear about your experiences directly
- what changes or support would make voting easier and more accessible for you - from the physical environment of polling stations, to information formats, communication support, and any other aspects of the voting process
- your ideas for ongoing collaboration - so that accessibility remains at the heart of how elections are delivered in the Scottish Borders.
Your voices are essential in shaping a voting experience that works for everyone. We want to build a partnership where accessibility is not an afterthought, but a central part of our planning and delivery.
Together, we can ensure that elections across the Scottish Borders are fair, inclusive, and accessible to all.
Contact us
If you would like to take part in this engagement, please contact us to let us know the best way to connect.
Please email elections@scotborders.gov.uk, telephone 01835 826556 or write to us at:
The Returning Officer, Council Headquarters, Newtown St Boswells, Melrose, TD6 0SA