The government has sought parliamentary approval to amend the election law to provide for a ‘totally visually impaired’ person to be accompanied by another person when voting at elections.

The Elections (special provisions) (Amendment) Bill has been presented to parliament for this purpose.

According to the provisions of the new Bill, an accompanying person is allowed to mark the ballot paper of the visually impaired person concerned on his direction in the presence of an official on duty at the respective polling booth.

However, the  person accompanying  should not be a candidate contesting the relevant election. He or she should not either be a presiding officer, or an authorized officer of a polling agent at the relevant election.

In the Bill, the ‘totally visually impaired person’ is a registered voter who is totally blind in both eyes, and eligible to vote.

Every person accompanying such a voter to a polling station should maintain and abide in maintaining the secrecy of such voting. To be eligible to vote, the  visually impaired persons should send in applications authorized by the Grama Niladharis and a medical officer.