Is the polling station really accessible to everyone?

As the Saeima elections approach, we increasingly hear polling stations described as accessible. In reality, however, accessibility is not just a ramp at the entrance.

An accessible polling station means that a person can reach it, get inside and take part in voting independently. This applies not only to people with motor disabilities, but also to seniors, parents with small children, people recovering from injuries, those with temporary health limitations, people with visual impairments and others.

There will be 158 polling stations in Riga for the Saeima elections.

Of these, 110 will be accessible to people in wheelchairs. This means that around 70% of the polling stations will be accessible, but not all of them. Compared with the 2025 municipal elections, this is a slight improvement — at that time, 104 polling stations were accessible.

Barriers can include:

– steps and thresholds;

– ramps that are too steep or unsafe;

– heavy doors;

– narrow passageways;

– unclear directions for getting to the polling station;

– an inaccessible environment inside the building.

It is also important that, if on election day a person with motor disabilities arrives at the polling station and is unable to get inside on their own, they are given the opportunity to vote at the entrance. However, this arrangement applies only on election day, not during the period in which a vote can be lodged in advance.

We plan to look more closely into the accessibility of polling stations in Latvia, especially in Riga.