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Use your vote (If you have one). Right to vote of people with intellectual disabilities and European elections 2024

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Inclusion Europe published a video about voting rights for people with intellectual disabilities under guardianship in Europe.

Guardianship allows some people to make life choices for others.

The person who makes choices for you is your guardian.

It should be a normal thing to be able to participate in the elections as a citizen.

The UNCRPD confirms the right to vote and be elected for people with disabilities.

There are still restrictions in several EU countries, especially for persons with intellectual disabilities.

14 EU countries grant full voting rights for people with intellectual disabilities under guardianship.

9 EU countries grant limited voting rights for people with intellectual disabilities under guardianship.

4 EU countries grant no voting rights for people with intellectual disabilities under guardianship.

People with disabilities who are under guardianship might not be allowed to vote because of certain laws.

Some people have to make a hard decision between keeping their rights and getting a disability allowance. This choice isn’t fair.

A big problem that stops people with disabilities from voting is that many things aren not easy for them to use.

The places where you vote, the papers you vote on, the machines you use to vote, and the information you get.

All of these can be hard for people with disabilities.

Even online the politicians post about their campaigns don’t always think about people with disabilities.

The big problem is that not many people with disabilities are involved in politics.

This means that the people who should be speaking up for them and fighting for their rights don’t get chosen to do that job.

The European Parliament ruled in 20203 that people with disabilities, regardless of legal capacity restrictions, should be allowed the right to vote.

EU countries need to follow this guidance, and respect the rights of people with disabilities.

It would be a significant step towards inclusive and accessible European democracy.

There are still voting restrictions in several EU countries, especially for persons with intellectual disabilities.

Inclusion Europe published a video about voting rights for people with intellectual disabilities under guardianship in Europe.

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities reaffirms the right to vote and to be elected for people with disabilities. However, there are still restrictions in the European Union for people with intellectual disabilities.

Whether a person with intellectual disabilities can or cannot vote is in many countries restricted based on their legal capacity and placement under guardianship. This is a violation of their rights.

In 2019, there were around 800.000 people from 16 Member countries that did not have the right to vote nor to stand for election based on their disability.

Based on the Inclusion Europe reaserch in 2023, among the 27 EU countries:

  • 15 countries grant full voting rights for people with intellectual disabilities under guardianship:Ireland, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Italy, Finland, France, Austria, Latvia, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Luxembourg, Greece.
  • 8 countries grant limited voting rights for people with intellectual disabilities under guardianship: Belgium, Hungary, Malta, Portugal, Lithuania, Czechia, Romania, Denmark.
  • 4 countries grant no voting rights for people with intellectual disabilities under guardianship: Estonia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Poland.

The European Parliament voted a resolution in 2023 saying that people with disabilities, regardless of their legal capacity restrictions, should be allowed the right to vote. The EU strategy also mentions the need to improve the accessibility of the right to vote of people with disabilities and to be elected.

“There are more than 7 million people with intellectual disabilities and their families in the European Union. Our votes matter. Election campaigns must also target people with intellectual disabilities and their families. To reach us the political groups must talk and listen to us. Both elections and campaigns must be fully accessible.” — Jyrki Pinomaa, President of Inclusion Europe

The voting and accessability issue:

Voting rights for people with intellectual disabilities

Easy to read materials:

People with intellectual disabilities and access to elections

Easy-to-read materials about Euroepan elections.

Easy to read magazine about the voting issue