Consideration needs to be given to allowing telephone voting at the upcoming local elections, a Dunedin-based disability advocate says.
Disabled Persons Assembly Dunedin secretary Chris Ford urged councillors at the Dunedin City Council's annual plan hearing yesterday to make voting more accessible for disabled people.
Voting by telephone was available at the 2016 general elections and it should be introduced for the local elections in October, Mr Ford said.
In the longer term, the council should seriously investigate electronic voting which would allow disabled people to vote in secret.
''Disabled people are sometimes denied their right to vote in secret which is something we all cherish,'' Mr Ford said.
