Tag: democracy

Letter: Accessible Voting

Dear Editor,  

Scottish voters will be going to the poll to elect a new parliament on 7 May – but, as someone with sight loss, I know from experience that doing so independently and in secret is far from guaranteed.   

Voting is still an overwhelmingly visual process of reviewing a list and marking a cross in a box. Without the right equipment, many blind and partially sighted people are forced to rely on others to mark our ballot in the way we wish, compromising our privacy and dignity. That simply isn’t good enough in a modern democracy.   

After a number of years of RNIB Scotland working with election authorities, voters across Scotland who are blind or partially sighted will have the option to use a new card ballot paper overlay at this year’s Scottish Parliament election.   

The new overlays are designed to fit the ballot paper for each constituency and region and have embossed and braille numbers with cut-out boxes that align with each box on the ballot paper. The accompanying audio allows voters to listen to an audio recording of the candidate list as many times as is necessary to make their mark confidently in the right box.  

We welcome the introduction of this after so many years, with the ballot card and audio having been tried and tested by people with sight loss. This is a unique offering to voters in Scotland and will enable people with sight loss to cast their vote more independently and in secret.  

The overlays will be available at every polling station in Scotland. We strongly urge anyone wanting to use the overlay to listen to their audio ballot paper before going to vote on 7 May. These can be accessed by visiting your local council website, ringing their election office, or via the RNIB Scotland elections webpage. 

A truly fair election is one where everyone can vote independently and with confidence. On 7 May, blind and partially sighted voters deserve nothing less.  

Sincerely,  

Anna Tylor  

Chair of Trustees at the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) 

Golders Green Incident: Muslim Association of Britain statement

An act of violence has been used to justify a dangerous narrative. We reject the weaponisation of fear and the targeting of communities and civil liberties.

Read our full statement:

More than 4 million voters ready to have their say at Scottish Parliament election

The final total of voters registered for the Scottish Parliament election is 4,320,981 – a record number for a Scottish Parliament election.  

Those planning to vote in person on Thursday 7 May are being encouraged to check their polling place location and to exercise patience if queues form. 

Voting should only take a few minutes and there is no requirement to bring photo ID. 

Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm and anyone in the queue at their polling station at 10pm will be able to vote. 

Malcolm Burr, Convener of the Electoral Management Board for Scotland said: “A significant amount of work has gone into preparing for this election and we are confident that polling day arrangements are robust and ready for this record number of voters. 

“If anyone needs additional support on the day, polling staff are there to help. Please be patient and respectful as they carry out their jobs. 

“As always, we are keeping the voter at the heart of all that we do and look forward to producing results in which everyone can have full confidence.”   

Cahir Hughes, Acting Head of the Electoral Commission Scotland, said: “If you become unwell or have an emergency which prevents you from attending a polling place in person next Thursday, you don’t need to miss out on your vote.  

“You can apply for an emergency proxy up until 5pm on polling day, so someone you trust can vote on your behalf. You can do this by contacting your local electoral registration office.”

Sight Scotland trains Polling Officers to deliver accessible voting for all

Ahead of Scotland’s Parliament elections on 7 May, Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans partner with the Electoral Management Board for Scotland to deliver accessible voting training to all Returning Officers and more than 900 polling staff, ensuring visually impaired voters can cast their vote independently and in secret.

Visually impaired voters face a range of barriers at polling stations, with a lack of staff training and confidence consistently highlighted as a major issue. Voters report that polling station staff do not always know how best to support blind and partially sighted people, leading to inconsistent use of accessible voting aids and uncertainty about the support available.

This is compounded by physical barriers such as poor lighting, unclear signage and challenging layouts, as well as information about candidates and voting procedures not always being provided in accessible formats. Many visually impaired voters are also reluctant to ask for help if it risks compromising the secrecy or independence of their vote.

Working in partnership with the Electoral Management Board for Scotland, Sight Scotland has helped develop a training video for polling station staff, setting out the support they are required to provide to visually impaired voters. Members of Sight Scotland’s Policy Group and rehabilitation team played a central role in shaping the content, ensuring it reflects both lived experience and professional expertise.

Colette Walker, co-chair of Sight Scotland Policy Group, who is visually impaired and took part in the training video, comments: “As the election approaches in two weeks, Sight Scotland and the Electoral Commission are highlighting a major push to ensure every blind and partially sighted person can exercise their democratic right to a private, independent vote.

“Every adult has a democratic right to cast their vote in privacy. By breaking down these long-standing barriers, we are ensuring that visually impaired voters in our communities finally have the same say as everyone else. We hope to see a record turnout of blind and partially sighted voters in two weeks’ time, casting their vote, having their say in politics.”

Sight Scotland Policy Group member, Hussein Patwa, adds: “I was delighted to be involved in producing training videos that will be shown to polling station staff across Scotland before the parliamentary elections on 07 May.

“Featuring myself and other visually impaired people, they demonstrate, in real life, practical examples of the correct sighted guiding technique, how to assist with navigating around the polling station, providing clear explanations to aid with orientation and the procedure to be followed for those who wish the presiding officer to help mark the ballot paper on their behalf.

“I am positive this will make a real difference to visually impaired people’s experience at polling stations, encourage those who haven’t done so before to try voting in person and increase confidence for both voters and polling staff alike.”

Malcolm Burr, Convener of the Electoral Management Board and Returning Officer for Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, comments: “Returning Officers and Electoral Registration Officers put in place a range of measures to support voters with visual impairment.

“We want everyone to be able to vote independently and in secret. We have large print ballot papers, magnifiers, additional lighting, tactile voting devices, audio versions of the ballot paper and can help the voter fill in the paper if necessary.

“Members of the visually impaired community told us that a fundamental problem was staff at polling stations did not know how best to support blind and partially sighted voters. The video we have filmed with the help of Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans is being used by Returning Officers across Scotland to train their hundreds of polling staff showing how to greet, guide and offer suitable assistance.

“Our polling staff are the public face of the election and the lessons in this video will help them as they prepare to welcome voters with visual impairment into the polling places on 7 May.”

Watch the training video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frVyMRCI2E8

For more information visit sightscotland.org.uk

Granton & District Community Council meeting on Monday

MONDAY 27th APRIL 6.30pm at ROYSTON WARDIEBURN COMMUNITY CENTRE

Our next monthly meeting takes place on Monday 27 April, 6.30pm at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre .

Local residents are welcome to join us to find out more about the community council, or to raise an issue for discussion!

This is a hybrid meeting – if you’d like to attend online, please get in touch for the MS Teams link. Alternatively, we can raise any issues for discussion on your behalf.

Simply email engagement@grantoncc.scot

😀

Letter: The D’Hondt Disaster

How the Independence Movement is Mathematically Defeating Itself

Dear Editor,

For years, the Scottish independence movement has been shackled by a fundamental misunderstanding of Holyrood’s Additional Member System.

The persistent rallying cry of “SNP 1, SNP 2” has not only failed to maximise our representation, but it has actively handed parliamentary power to unionist MSPs. The electoral facts prove that millions of pro-independence votes are being routinely wasted.

In the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, the SNP dominated the constituency ballot, winning 59 seats. However, the regional list system mathematically penalises parties that win heavily in the constituencies.

Consequently, the SNP’s 953,587 regional list votes yielded a mere 4 list seats.

The D’Hondt formula rendered nearly a million peach ballot votes virtually worthless, allowing the Scottish Conservatives and Scottish Labour to use their regional votes to sweep 24 and 21 list seats, respectively.

In 2021, this electoral tragedy repeated itself. Pro-independence voters dutifully followed the dual-vote strategy, helping the SNP win a record 62 constituency seats.

Yet, despite securing over a million votes on the regional list, the SNP returned just 2 regional MSPs. Over a million independence votes were essentially torched. This inefficiency directly enabled unionist parties to comfortably fill the regional lists, artificially inflating their influence in parliament.

I argue that some still argue for an “Indy 1, Indy 2” approach, assuming that backing the same dominant independence party on the peach ballot paper will secure victory. It fundamentally does not work for the Scottish Independence movement. Continuing to pile list votes onto a party that has already swept the constituencies is mathematically self-defeating.

To break this deadlock and secure a genuine pro-independence supermajority, our strategy must evolve. We must stop throwing our regional votes into the D’Hondt trap. The formula for success is clear: it has to be Indy 1 on the constituency ballot, and Alliance to Liberate Scotland 2 on the regional vote on the peach ballot paper.

Only by splitting our votes strategically can we capture the regional lists, lock unionist MSPs out of Holyrood, and finally deliver the parliament Scotland needs to secure its independence.

Yours for Scotland,

Dhruva Kumar
Glasgow Region List Candidate
Alliance to Liberate Scotland
Former MP Candidate, Glasgow, ALBA Party

TONIGHT: Last chance to register to vote in Holyrood Elections

Time is running out for voters to register to have their say in the Scottish Parliament election on Thursday 7 May, with the deadline for registrations at 11.59pm TONIGHT. 

Registering takes minutes and can be done online at gov.uk/register-to-vote. All voters need is a name, address, and National Insurance number. 

Those who are already registered will have received a poll card, which tells them where and when to vote. 

Cahir Hughes, Acting Head of the Electoral Commission Scotland, said: “We want everyone to be able to have their say in this election, but first they need to be registered to vote.  

“If you’re voting for the first time, have moved house, or changed any of your details, it’s especially important that you register online before the deadline tonight. 

“It takes just five minutes and all you need is your name, address, and National Insurance number. You can do it now at gov.uk/register-to-vote. 

“If you want to vote by post or by proxy, you still have time to apply, but you’ll need to be registered to vote first. Anyone not registered in time won’t be able to vote on Thursday 7 May. 

“Once you’re registered, the deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5.00pm on Tuesday 21 April and the deadline to apply for a proxy vote is 5.00pm on Tuesday 28 April.” 

Residents urged to register to vote in the Scottish Parliament Election before deadline TOMORROW

With the deadline for new voter registration at 11:59pm on MONDAY 20 APRIL fast approaching, the city council is reminding all eligible residents in Edinburgh to register in time.

Registering online is quick and easy, with full details on the UK Government’s website. If you have recently moved home or your details have changed you will need to register to vote again. 

The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on Tuesday 21 April, and for a proxy vote it’s 5pm on Tuesday 28 April.

Detailed advice on registering to vote, the use of postal and proxy votes and other guidance is available on the Council’s website.

Voters who are already registered will have received a poll card, which tells them where and when to vote. 

Those who do not have a fixed address can still register to vote using a declaration of local connection. 

Returning Officer for Edinburgh, Paul Lawrence said: “Next week marks several crucial milestones as our city prepares for polling day.

“We want everyone to be able to cast their vote and make their voice heard in this election. I’d urge anyone in Edinburgh who is eligible to make the necessary arrangements as soon as possible.”

Polls will be open from 7am to 10pm on Thursday May 7. You can find your nearest polling place on our website. The count will take place on Friday May 8. 

Call for support of Leonardo activists

EDINBURGH SHERIFF COURT – THURSDAY 16 APRIL from 9am

🚨COURT SUPPORT IN EDINBURGH🚨

👉 Leonardo 5 – Trial

📆 Thursday 16th April 2026 (Day 1, day 2 not yet scheduled)

📍Edinburgh Sheriff Court & Justice of the Peace Court, 27 Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1LB

🕣 From 9AM

Please support these 5 SPSC members who, from early morning on 10th December 2024, blockaded Leonardo arms factory in Edinburgh with vehicles, disrupting production for 8 hours.

After arrest, they were treated disgracefully at Livingston and Dunfermline stations, released at 10.00pm without coats in sub-zero temperatures, (confiscated) to make their way home to the Borders without breaking their bail conditions of not entering Edinburgh.

*Two are very bravely self-repping* to ensure they can have their say in court.

❗️PLEASE LET FRIENDS KNOW AND GET A GREAT TURN OUT FOR THESE BRAVE ACTIVISTS BOTH OUTSIDE AND INSIDE THE COURT❗️

#shutdownleonardo

#endthegenocide

#protestisnotacrime