Roderich Egeler
President of the Federal Statistical Office
Press release May 26, 2009
Blind persons may vote on their own again in the 2009 European Election
WIESBADEN – At the 2009 European Election, blind and visually impaired citizens will be able to cast their votes on their own and without the assistance of a confidant using ballot paper templates. As the Federal Returning Officer further reports, ballot paper templates are provided free of charge by the Land associations of the German Association of Blind and Visually Impaired People (DBSV).
For orientation purposes, all ballot papers have been punched in the upper right corner, while the upper right corner of the ballot paper template has been cut off. Together with each template, information is supplied on the structure of the template and the ballot paper; that information may be in embossed printing, on an audio CD, in DAISY format or in large print depending on the Land association. This will enable blind and visually impaired voters to mark their ballot paper on their own in the polling booth on election day or before that day by postal ballot. Those casting their vote at the polling station should however take their ballot paper template home afterwards to ensure the secrecy of the ballot. No difference will be seen on the ballot paper itself.
Ballot paper templates have been offered for all of Germany since the 2002 Bundestag Election and the 2004 European Election. The associations of the blind will be reimbursed the costs of template production by the Federal Government.
Without having to be a member of an association of the blind, persons wishing to vote with the help of a ballot paper template may order such template:
– via the hotline of the DBSV for all of Germany under (+49-1805) 66 64 56
(EUR 0.14/min. from the German fixed line network), which will automatically connect the caller with the competent Land association,
– or directly from the Land associations of the DBSV listed in the following:
Baden-Württemberg
– Badischer Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverein V.m.K. in Mannheim
tel: (+49-621) 40 20 31
– Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverein Südbaden e. V. in Freiburg
tel: (+49-761) 3 61 22
– Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverband Ost-Baden-Württemberg e. V. in Stuttgart
tel: (+49-711) 2 10 60-0
Bayern
– Bayerischer Blinden- und Sehbehindertenbund e. V. in München
tel: (+49- 89) 5 59 88-0
Berlin
– Allgemeiner Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverein Berlin gegr. 1874 e. V.
tel: (+49-30) 8 95 88 - 0
Brandenburg
– Blinden-und-Sehbehinderten-Verband Brandenburg e. V. in Cottbus
tel: (+49-355) 2 25 49
Bremen
– Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverein Bremen e. V. in Bremen
tel: (+49-421) 32 77 33
Hamburg
– Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverein Hamburg e. V.
tel: (+49-40) 20 94 04 - 0
Hessen
– Blinden- und Sehbehindertenbund in Hessen e. V. in Frankfurt am Main
tel: (+49-69) 15 05 96 - 6
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
– Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverein Mecklenburg-Vorpommern e. V. in Rostock
tel: (+49-381) 77 89 80
Niedersachsen
– Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverband Niedersachsen e. V. in Hannover
tel: (+49-511) 51 04 - 0
Nordrhein-Westfalen
– Lippischer Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverein e.V. in Detmold
tel: (+49-5231) 63 00 - 0
– Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverband Nordrhein e. V. in Meerbusch
tel: (+49-2159) 96 55 - 0
– Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverein Westfalen e. V. in Dortmund
tel: (+49-231) 55 75 90 – 0
Rheinland-Pfalz
– Landesblinden- und Sehbehindertenverband Rheinland-Pfalz e. V. in Mainz
tel: (+49-6131) 6 93 97 36
Saarland
– Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverein für das Saarland e. V. in Nalbach
tel: (+49-6838) 36 62
Sachsen
– Blinden- und Sehbehinderten-Verband Sachsen e. V. in Dresden
tel: (+49-351) 8 09 06 11
Sachsen-Anhalt
– Blinden- und Sehbehinderten-Verband Sachsen-Anhalt e. V. in Magdeburg
tel: (+49-391) 2 89 62 39
Schleswig-Holstein
– Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverein Schleswig-Holstein e. V. in Lübeck
tel: (+49-451) 40 85 08 - 0
Thüringen
– Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverband Thüringen e. V. in Gera
tel: (+49-365) 8 32 22 73
For further information please contact:
Karina Schorn,
tel: (+49-611) 75-2317,
email: bundeswahlleiter@destatis.de