The General Elections Act does not consider persons with disability as persons but as votes, Alternattiva Demokratika spokeswoman for disability issues Claire Azzopardi Lane said.

Addressing a news conference outside the National Commission for Persons with a Disability’s headquarters in Sta Venera, Dr Azzopardi Lane said that persons with disability are currently required to have the voting room closed while three to six assistant electoral commissioners helped them vote.

Persons with a disability rightly claimed that this was very awkward and the assistant commissioners representing the commissioners would know who they were voting for.

AD deputy chairman Carmel Cacopardo said there should be a national discussion as to whether and under what conditions a voters should be entitled to be assisted during voting by a person of the voter’s trust.

Persons with a disability should also have access to accessible information and communication technology.

Referring to the rights of persons with intellectual disability, AD said the current system needed to be overhauled.

To date people with intellectual disability were part of the electoral register and had a right to vote unless a judicial protest was presented.

When this was done, the person concerned was subjected to assessment by the medical board made up of political appointees.

AD said it did not support this system and insisted that political parties should not have a role in the selection of the medical panel.

AD also supported the use of Braille for blind voters.