Maikel Mõttus is a board member of the Estonian Association of People with Mobility Impairments and a change-maker in the Disability Rights in the European Elections (DREE) project. In this testimonial, he explains the importance of alternative and remote voting methods, and the steps Estonia is taking to make voting more accessible.
Especially in these challenging times, I consider it very important to have the opportunity to shape the future of Europe and Estonia with my vote.
The first time I went to vote was when I was 18 years old. Since then, I have always participated in both local and European Parliament elections. Fortunately, my hometown polling station was in an accessible location, although I still had to go there by car. The voting process itself was simple; I made my choice and placed my ballot in the ballot box.
However, besides knee pain, I also experience quite noticeable anxiety in situations where I am doing something, and others are waiting for me. Because of this, I have cast my vote in both local and European Parliament elections via e-voting. This way, I can make my decision from home using my ID card.
Nevertheless, it is good to know that I can also see the accessibility status of polling stations on the website and choose a suitable one for myself. It is vital that people can go and vote at a polling station, if they wish to do so. Especially in these challenging times, I consider it very important to have the opportunity to shape the future of Europe and Estonia with my vote.
To ensure that other people with mobility impairments can also shape this future, I spoke at the European Disability Forum event on “Inclusive, Accessible Elections – from pre-campaigning to the day after.” As discussed, in addition to good solutions, greater inclusion of people with disabilities in the politics of EU member states is needed. The more politicians with disabilities there are, the easier it is to create an accessible and inclusive society for everyone.