So-called voting templates are available to blind and visually impaired voters for the Bundestag elections. Around 1,300 of these stencils have already been ordered and delivered in Saxony, according to a request from the Saxony Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. However, this is only enough for a fraction of the people affected. According to the association, it is estimated that around 10,000 blind people and around 25,000 visually impaired people live in Saxony.
And this is how the voting template works: the ballot paper is perforated or cut off at the top right-hand corner, i.e. it is tactilely marked, according to the state election administration. This allows those affected to insert the ballot paper independently and correctly.
Circular holes are punched out where the boxes for the individual parties are located, which can be easily felt. They are also outlined in black so that they can be easily seen by visually impaired people. Next to these fields are ascending numbers in Braille and tactile black lettering.
