Contents
Why have we written this report? ....................................................... 4
What is available? .................................................................................... 5
Summary .................................................................................................... 6
How to vote ............................................................................................... 7
Ways to vote .............................................................................................. 8
Voting experience at elections ............................................................. 9
Conclusions .............................................................................................. 12
Author and publisher: Organization for European Security and Co-operation OSCE Mission to Montenegro George Washington Boulevard 98/VII 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro www.osce.org/mission-to-montenegro © OSCE Mission in Montenegro ISBN: 978-92-9271-402-4
October 2024 This report is about how people with disabilities perceive voting at elections in Montenegro. It sets out problems they encountered in the 2023 presidential and early parliamentary election, and what they think should be done to make elections more accessible.
The OSCE Mission to Montenegro would like to thank all voters with disabilities who spoke to us about their experience of voting at elections in 2023. This report could not have been written without you. We would also like to thank the Association of Youth with Disabilities, and the Union of the Blind, for a long-standing partnership and a contribution they made in preparing this report.
3 Why have we written this report?
Until November 2020, the right to vote was associated with legal capacity1. This meant that hundreds of voters with disabilities were denied the right to make decisions for themselves, including the right to vote. Three years later, in 2023, the OSCE Mission to Montenegro (Mission) spoke to people with disabilities in an attempt to evaluate how recent changes affect their experiences at elections.
After the presidential election on 19 March and 2 April, and the early parliamentary election on 11 June, the Mission worked with the Association of Youth with Disabilities, and the Union of the Blind, to develop a questionnaire and speak to people with different disabilities about their experiences of voting at elections in 2023. We wanted to hear what they thought could be done to make elections accessible and a more pleasant experience.
1 Legal capacity is the formal ability to hold and exercise rights and duties 4 What is available? In March 2022 the State Election Commission introduced the following changes:
A tactile voting device was introduced, to better protect the secrecy of vote, as well as help voters mark their vote on the ballot paper in the correct place.
With the aim of assisting voters with impaired vision familiarise with candidates standing at elections, all polling stations have two sample ballots in Braille.
Ballot boxes must be placed on a surface which does not exceed 40 centimetres of height, meaning everyone can cast a ballot independently.
5 Summary People with disabilities face many difficulties at elections. Some encounter problems in exercising the right to vote, while others do not have confidence to vote.
We spoke to 94 voters from 20 Montenegrin municipalities 2 with physical (36), sensory (36), psychosocial (9), and intellectual disabilities (2), autism (2), as well as those with multiple disabilities (9). The majority of them (71%) said that election management bodies do not offer enough support to people with disabilities, and do not look at different and innovative tools that people with disabilities can use to vote at elections. This means that voters with disabilities feel left out. It is the results from the survey and interviews of these voters that we present in this report.
All voters should be able to vote on their own and in secret. Voting should be a simple and positive experience for everyone. Some people with disabilities do not know enough about their rights and they may not always know how to vote. They need to know that they can vote and receive support in elections.
Election management bodies should consider and understand the needs of people with disabilities so that they can support them and make it easy for them to vote and to stand at elections. Polling station staff should be trained on how to assist voters with disabilities if they ask for support.
When political parties publish and present their manifestos, they should make information available in accessible formats. People with disabilities should have just as much time as anyone else to understand the points the parties are making. It is important that everyone has plenty of time to think about their decision before they vote on election day.
2 Bar, Berane, Bijelo Polje, Budva, Cetinje, Danilovgrad, Herceg Novi, Kolašin, Kotor, Nikšić, Petnjica, Pljevlja, Plužine, Podgorica, Rožaje, Tivat, Tuzi, Zeta, Ulcinj, Žabljak 6 How to vote 89 per cent of respondents told us they always vote at elections. While all said they knew how to vote, not everyone had a good experience of voting at the 2023 elections.
Almost 60 per cent of people with disabilities learned about the 2023 election candidates by watching TV and listening to the radio ahead of casting their vote. 21 per cent said they mostly relied on state institutions and non-governmental organisations, whereas six per cent did not want to be informed.
Almost 60 per cent reported that information on how to vote was accessible to them although 32 per cent said information was either not accessible, or was partially accessible. Seven per cent of respondents said they did not know whether information was accessible to them.
56 per cent of respondents said they watched TV and listened to the radio to understand what political parties stood for. 36 per cent told us they used social media for this purpose, while eight per cent visited websites of political parties to learn about their manifestoes.
7 Ways to vote When asked about their voting preferences, 75 per cent of respondents said their preference is to vote independently at a polling station. 12 per cent liked using tactile voting devices at polling stations. 14 per cent said they prefer voting with the help of an assistant, and 11 per cent would like to vote remotely.
Those who said they prefer voting independently at polling stations said they do it because they want to feel equal to others, to protect their dignity, and because they want to vote independently and in secret. Those who prefer to vote remotely said they do it because polling stations are not accessible, or because they are not able to vote online. Finally, people with disabilities who vote using a tactile voting device told us that polling station staff did not always know where to find a tactile voting device.
8 Voting experience at elections 54 per cent said they faced barriers while voting during the 2023 elections, whereas 40 per cent said they did not face any. Six per cent were unsure.
Some of the most frequently cited problems include:
• polling stations were difficult to get to; • unable to walk within a polling station; • the format of the ballot; • voting booths and ballot boxes that are placed too high; • poor lighting and slippery floors at polling stations.
26 per cent did not want to say which barriers they faced. 48 per cent reported that they relied on the support of a family member to be able to vote. Seven per cent said they received assistance from polling station staff. Some people said they relied on their friends. 23 per cent did not want to tell us who assisted them in voting at the 2023 elections.
63 per cent told us their polling stations were not accessible to them because:
• There were too many stairs at the entrance of some polling stations; • inadequate or missing ramps and bannisters; • narrow voting booths; • missing or poor arrangements and equipment to guide persons with impaired vision; • parking was not available; • lighting was poor; • tactile voting devices were missing at polling stations.
70 per cent of voters said that polling station staff were polite and professional, while 30 per cent held the opposite view.
9 42 per cent said that polling station staff offered assistance when voters with disabilities requested it. 30 per cent of voters said they did not know or were not sure whether polling station staff offered assistance. Three per cent did not want to respond and said that assistance would not have been necessary, had their polling stations been accessible.
45 per cent of voters said they thought polling station staff did not know how to approach them and communicate with them at the polling station. 29 per cent said the opposite, while 26 per cent was not sure.
When asked what could improve their experience of voting at elections, most said the following:
• Be able to vote online; • ensure that I can move freely within the polling station; • install tactile equipment for people with impaired vision; • improve lighting at the polling station; • train polling station staff on how to better do their jobs; • make sure polling station staff know where tactile voting device is; • provide interpretation to sign language; • make larger ballots; • have larger print on the ballot; • make sure voting booths are set to a reachable height; • provide voter materials (ballot, guidance notices, leaflets) in Braille; • use simple language that is easy to understand; • train polling station staff to be kinder to all voters.
Others suggested introducing amendments to legislation to improve their voting experience, for example having a person to represent them in Parliament. Some said people with disabilities should be trained about their voting rights, and that there should be a register
10 of persons with disabilities set up. Some pointed out that a polling station was made accessible after a person with a disability took legal action about discrimination.
85 per cent of respondents relies on NGO support services that include community discussions, assistance with tuition fees and training, free legal aid, counselling, personal assistance, accessible public transport, support in finding employment, assistance in achieving independent living.
72 per cent of voters told us that election management bodies and state institutions involved in the electoral process do not offer enough support to voters with disabilities. 22 per cent was not sure whether their support was sufficient, whereas six per cent said support was adequate.
Before an election, all voters are sent a poll card that informs them of where their polling station is. This is done by the Ministry of Interior. Some people with impaired vision said that the print was too small and difficult to read. The print should be in a larger font size.
Some voters told us it would be easier to vote online. But the government and election management bodies would need to be sure it was safe before this could happen.
11 Conclusions Everyone has the constitutional right to vote independently and in secret.
Election management bodies must understand the needs of people with disabilities to be able to support them to vote.
Polling station staff should know about everyone’s rights and make voting a positive experience for everyone.
Political parties’ manifestos and poll cards should be available in accessible formats.
Ministry of Interior and municipal electoral commissions should work together in finding and designating accessible polling stations.
Local authorities should be required to review their polling stations and their accessibility at least once every four years.
Candidates and parties should ensure that their political campaign materials are in an easy-to-read format and available in good time before the election so people have the time to read it.
Badges identifying polling station staff may help voters identify polling station staff at the polling station and approach them for assistance.
Pencil grips may help voters with dexterity impairments hold and use a pencil independently.
Visually impaired voters may want to use magnifiers at polling stations to independently increase the size of the text on a document or ballot.
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Sadržaj:
Zašto smo napisali ovaj izvještaj? ........................................................ 4
Trenutno stanje ........................................................................................ 5
Pregled ........................................................................................................ 6
Kako glasati ............................................................................................... 7
Načini glasanja.......................................................................................... 8
Iskustvo glasanja ...................................................................................... 9
Zaključci.................................................................................................... 12
Autor i izdavač: Organizacija za evropsku bezbjednost i saradnju Misija OEBS-a u Crnoj Gori Bulevar Džordža Vašingtona 98/VII 81000 Podgorica, Crna Gora www.osce.org/me/mission-to-montenegro © Misija OEBS-a u Crnoj Gori ISBN: 978-92-9271-401-7
oktobar 2024. godine Izvještaj koji čitate govori o iskustvu osoba s invaliditetom (OSI) na izborima u Crnoj Gori. Predstavlja izazove sa kojima su se OSI susrele tokom predsjedničkih i parlamentarnih izbora 2023. godine, ali i njihove ideje o tome šta treba uraditi da bi izbori bili pristupačniji.
Misija OEBS-a u Crnoj Gori iskazuje zahvalnost svim biračima sa invaliditetom koji su razgovarali sa nama. Ovaj izvještaj ne bi mogao biti napisan bez vas. Takođe se zahvaljujemo Udruženju mladih sa hendikepom Crne Gore i Savezu slijepih na dugogodišnjoj saradnji i njihovom doprinosu izvještaju.
3 Zašto smo napisali ovaj izvještaj?
Do novembra 2020. godine pravo glasa je bilo uslovljeno poslovnom sposobnošću.1 Stotine OSI nisu imale pravo da odlučuju za sebe, što je uključivalo i pravo glasa. Tri godine kasnije, inicirali smo razgovore sa OSI sa ciljem da ocijenimo kako su nedavne izmjene i preporuke Državne izborne komisije uticale na iskustva OSI uoči izbora.
Nakon predsjedničkih izbora 19. marta i 2. aprila, i prijevremenih parlamentarnih izbora 11. juna 2023. godine, zajedno sa Udruženjem mladih sa hendikepom Crne Gore i Savezom slijepih, izradili smo upitnik od 20 pitanja, i razgovarali sa OSI o njihovom iskustvu na izborima 2023. godine, ali i o tome kako izbore možemo učiniti pristupačnijim i prijatnijim iskustvom za svakoga.
1 Poslovna sposobnost je sposobnost samostalnog odlučivanja o pravima i obavezama 4 Trenutno stanje
U martu 2022. godine Državna izborna komisija uvela je sljedeće izmjene:
Šablon za glasanje je redizajniran zarad veće tajnosti glasanja, ali i jednostavnijeg načina da birači oštećenog vida obilježe redni broj ispred željenog kandidata/kinje na glasačkom listiću.
Sva biračka mjesta posjeduju dva primjerka glasačkog listića na Brajevom pismu kako bi se osobe oštećenog vida upoznale sa kandidatima. Primjerci su informativnog karaktera.
Po pravilu, glasačke kutije treba da budu postavljene na visini do 40 centimetara kako bi svi mogli samostalno da glasaju.
Izrađeno je uputstvo za opštinske izbornim komisije da na biračkim mjestima budu postavljene tamno crvene etison trake koje će olakšati kretanje osobama ostećenog vida.
5 Pregled
Za OSI glasanje na izborima je izazov. Neke od njih nailaze na probleme tokom glasanja, dok drugima nedostaje samopouzdanje da bi glasali.
Razgovarali smo sa 94 birača iz 20 crnogorskih opština 2 sa fizičkim (36), senzornim (36), psihosocijalnim (9), intelektualnim invaliditetom (2), autizmom (2), i višestrukim invaliditetom (9).
Većina njih (71%) kazala je da izborna tijela ne nude dovoljno podrške osobama s invaliditetom, niti inovativne načine koji bi za OSI bili od pomoći tokom izbora. Ovo znači da se birači s invaliditetom osjećaju zanemareno. U izvještaju iznosimo njihove stavove.
Svi birači treba da mogu da glasaju samostalno i tajno. Glasanje treba da bude jednostavno i pozitivno iskustvo za sve birače. Neke OSI ne znaju dovoljno o svojim pravima, i neće uvijek znati kako da glasaju. Važno je da znaju da mogu da glasaju i da imaju pravo na podršku na izborima.
Izborna tijela treba da razumiju i razmotre potrebe OSI, na način da budu sposobni da OSI pruže pomoć bilo da se radi o glasanju, ili kandidovanju na izborima. Birački odbori treba da znaju kako da pruže pomoć onim OSI koje pomoć zatraže.
Kada političke partije objavljuju i predstavljaju svoje izborne programe, tekst i informacije u njihovim programima treba da budu dostupni i u pristupačnim formatima. OSI treba da imaju dovoljno vremena, kao i svi ostali, da razumiju programe i argumente koje partije iznose. Takođe je važno da svi imaju dovoljno vremena za razmišljanje prije nego glasaju na izborni dan.
2 Bar, Berane, Bijelo Polje, Budva, Cetinje, Danilovgrad, Herceg Novi, Kolašin, Kotor, Nikšić, Petnjica, Pljevlja, Plužine, Podgorica, Rožaje, Tivat, Tuzi, Zeta, Ulcinj, Žabljak 6 Kako glasati
89% ispitanika kazalo je da uvijek glasa na izborima. Iako su svi kazali da znaju kako se glasa, nijesu svi imali pozitivno iskustvo tokom glasanja na izborima 2023. godine.
Skoro 60% OSI upoznalo se sa izbornim kandidatima pred izbore 2023. godine putem televizije i radio stanica. 21% njih kazalo je da su se oslonili na državne institucije ili nevladine organizacije, dok 6% njih nije željelo da se informiše.
Kako bi doznali više o partijama i njihovim programima, 56% ispitanika informisalo se putem TV i radio stanica. 36% koristilo je društvene mreže u ovu svrhu, dok je 8% posjećivalo internet stranice političkih partija.
Gotovo 60% kazalo je da su im informacije o tome kako da glasaju pristupačne, dok je 32% kazalo da nijesu. 7% njih nije znalo da li su informacije pristupačne ili nijesu.
7 Načini glasanja
Kada smo razgovarali o načinu glasanja koji im najviše odgovara 75% odgovorilo je da najradije glasa na biračkom mjestu. 12% ispitanika kazalo je da glasa uz pomoć šablona na biračkom mjestu. 14% njih najradije glasa uz pomoć asistenta/kinje, dok 11% njih želi da glasa van biračkog mjesta.
Ispitanici koji najradije glasaju na biračkom mjestu kazali su da to čine radi osjećaja jednakosti sa ostalima, ali i jer žele da glasaju samostalno i tajno.
Ispitanici koji su kazali da glasaju putem pisma kazali su da to rade jer su biračka mjesta nepristupačna, ili zato što nije moguće glasati putem interneta. Pojedini birači koji koriste šablon kazali su da birački odbori nijesu znali gdje se šablon nalazi.
8 Iskustvo glasanja
54% ispitanika kazalo je da nije bilo jednostavno ostvariti biračko prava na izborima 2023. godine. 40% njih je biračko pravo ostvarilo bez problema, dok 6% nije bilo sigurno.
Problemi koje su najčešće naveli su sljedeći:
• pristup biračkom mjestu je otežan • kretanje na biračkom mjestu nije moguće • format glasačkog listića je nepristupačan • paravani za glasanje i glasačke kutije postavljeni su previsoko • osvjetljenje je slabo • podovi na biračkim mjestima su klizavi
26% ispitanika nije željelo da govori o problemima koji otežavaju ili onemogućavaju njihovo biračko pravo. 48% oslonilo se na pomoć članova porodice prilikom glasanja. 7% je zatražilo pomoć od biračkih odbora u ostvarivanju biračkog prava. Neki ispitanici kazali su da im pomoć pružaju prijatelji. 23% nije željelo da kaže na čiju pomoć su se oslonili.
63% je kazalo da njihovo biračko mjesto nije bilo pristupačno iz jednog od sljedećih razloga:
• ima previše stepenika na ulazu u biračko mjesto • biračko mjesto nema rampu, ili rampa nije adekvatna • paravani za glasanje su suviše uski • nema taktilnih traka za osobe sa oštećenim vidom • nije bilo parkinga • osvjetljenje je bilo slabo • nije bilo šablona na biračkom mjestu
70% ispitanika kazalo je da su birački odbori bili ljubazni, dok je 30% tvrdilo suprotno.
9 42% ispitanika reklo je da su članovi biračkih odbora ponudili pomoć na njihov zahtjev. 30% nije bilo sigurno da li su članovi biračkih odbora ponudili pomoć. 3% nije željelo da odgovori napominjući da ne bi bilo potrebe da članovi biračkih odbora nude pomoć da su biračka mjesta bila pristupačna.
45% ispitanika kazalo je da birački odbori nijesu bili sigurni kako da im priđu i razgovaraju sa njima na biračkom mjestu. 29% tvrdi suprotno, dok 26% nije bilo sigurno.
Na pitanje šta njihovo iskustvo glasanja može učiniti pozitivnijim, dobili smo sljedeće odgovore:
• mogućnost glasanja putem interneta • mogućnost slobodnog kretanja na biračkom mjestu • postaviti taktilne trake za osobe sa oštećenim vidom • pojačati osvjetljenje na biračkim mjestima • edukovati biračke odbore tako da bolje da rade svoj posao • postarati se da članovi biračkih odbora znaju gdje su šabloni • obezbijediti prevod na znakovni jezik • štampati veće glasačke listiće3 • veći font slova na glasačkom listiću • postarati se da su paravni za glasanje spušteni tako da osobe nižeg rasta mogu da glasaju • izborni materijal (glasački listić, flajeri, vodiči) treba biti dostupan na Brajevom pismu • koristiti jezik koji je jednostavan i razumljiv • podučiti članove biračkih odbora da budu ljubazniji prema biračima
Pojedini sagovornici/ce predložili su da se izmijeni izborno zakonodavstvo u cilju poboljšanja njihovog iskustva kao birača, na primjer uvesti da OSI imaju svog/ju predstavnika/cu u Skupštini. Neki
3 Izgled glasačkog listića uređen je izbornim zakonom i podzakonskim aktom Državne izborne komisije 10 su kazali da osobe sa invaliditetom treba da se upoznaju sa svojim pravima, uključujući i pravo glasa, kao i da treba uspostaviti registar osoba s invaliditetom. Nekoliko ispitanika ukazalo je na činjenicu da je jedno biračko mjesto uređeno tako da bude pristupačno nakon tužbe za diskriminaciju uoči predsjedničkih izbora 2018. godine.
85% ispitanika kazalo je da se oslanja na usluge nevladinih organizacija koje uključuju grupne razgovore, pomoć u plaćanju školarine, obuke, besplatnu pravnu pomoć, pristupačan javni prevoz, pomoć u traženju posla, i personalnu asistenciju u svrhu ostvarivanja prava na samostalan života.
72% reklo je da izborna tijela i državne institucije koje su dio izbornog procesa ne nude podršku biračima s invaliditetom. 22% kazalo je da nijesu sigurni da li je pomoć koju ove institucije pružaju dovoljna, dok 6% smatra da je ova vrsta pomoći adekvatna.
Prije izbora, svi birači treba da dobiju poziv za glasanje. Ovo je posao Ministarstva unutrašnjih poslova. Pojedine osobe oštećenog vida kazale su da je font slova na pozivu za glasanje suviše mali, te da se teško čita.
Pojedini ispitanici su mišljenja da bi bilo lakše glasati putem interneta.
11 Zaključci
Svi imaju Ustavom zagarantovano pravo tajnog glasanja na izborima.
Izborna tijela treba da razumiju potrebe OSI kako bi znala kako da im ponude podršku tokom izbornog procesa.
Članove biračkih odbora treba upoznati sa pravima svih birača, i učiniti da glasanje bude pozitivno iskustvo za svakoga.
Programe političkih partija i pozive za glasanje treba izrađivati u pristupačnim formatima.
Izborni kandidati i političke partije treba da se postaraju da materijali koje izrađuju u svrhu izbornih kampanja budu u pristupačnim formatima, i na raspolaganju građanima mnogo prije izbornog dana, tako da svi birači imaju vremena da ih pročitaju.
Biračka mjesta određuje opštinska izborna komisija na predlog Ministarstva unutrašnjih poslova. Važno je da opštinske izborne komisije i Ministarstvo unutrašnjih poslova ostvare saradnju u predlaganju i određivanju biračkih mjesta koja su pristupačna.
Uvesti obavezu opštinskim vlastima da vrše evaluaciju pristupačnosti svih biračkih mjesta u svojoj opštini makar jednom u četiri godine.
Kada bi članovi biračkih odbora nosili bedževe sa svojim imenima OSI bi jednostavnije prepoznale kome mogu da se obrate za pomoć na biračkom mjestu.
Držači za olovke mogu pomoći osobama slabije ili oštećene pokretljivosti da samostalno koriste olovku.
Pojedine osobe oštećenog vida žele koristiti lupu kako bi samostalno uvećali veličinu slova na glasačkom listiću.
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