Call to make voting centres more accessible

8 September 2026

The inquiry into voting centre accessibility heard some disabilities are visible, but many are not.

A trial of accessibility officers at voting centres is among a raft of recommendations made by a parliamentary inquiry to better assist people with disability during elections.

The officers would be specially trained to provide advice to Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) staff, support voters and ensure overall accessibility.

The VEC is also being urged to develop a searchable database of voting centres that shows a variety of accessibility features for each venue.

The database would help voters to find voting centres that have the features they need.

Parliament’s Electoral Matters Committee is calling for improvements to:

How voting centres are selected and operated
What voting centre equipment is provided
What information is communicated
How voting centre staff are trained

While the VEC has taken some steps to reduce barriers for people with disability at voting centres, the inquiry found more needs to be done.

‘The VEC must recognise that disability is diverse. Some disabilities are visible. Many are not,’ Committee Chair Mathew Hilakari said.

‘Some voters need physical access. Others need clear information, low-sensory environments, appropriate equipment or assistance from trained staff.’

Simple measures, such as providing more seating and signage could be implemented by Victoria’s next state election on Saturday 28 November 2026.

“ ‘Some improvements can be made before this November’s election. Others will take longer.’ ”

Committee Chair Mathew Hilakari

The VEC is also being urged to investigate New Zealand style ‘takeaway voting’.

The Kiwi system lets someone collect voting papers for another person, take them away so the other person can vote, and then return them to the voting centre.

The 10-month inquiry received 52 written submissions and heard directly from numerous disability advocates at public hearings.

Electoral Commissioner Sven Bluemmel was among the witnesses who appeared at a public hearing on behalf of the VEC.

In its appearance before the Committee, the VEC announced low‑sensory voting centres would be available across every Victorian electorate.

The VEC has been urged to go even further and overhaul its entire approach to how it develops, plans and tracks performance.

‘Accessibility should be built into systems from the beginning, not treated as a later add-on,’ Mr Hilakari said.

‘This new approach must be supported by detailed plans, transparent reporting and thorough evaluations of both new and existing practices.

‘I encourage the VEC to carefully consider the Committee’s recommendations and work towards making voting accessible to every Victorian.’

The full report has been published on the Committee’s website, alongside a plain language summary and videos in Auslan.